An Unlikely Outcome
by Pure-HP
Summary: HrD. Voldemort kidnapped Hermione and only Draco knew how to save her. Watch as the Slytherin's become involved.
1. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all, not the characters or any of it. I am just twisting it around, that's all.  
  
Chapter 1; Aboard the Hogwarts Express  
  
Hermione looked at her two best friends and scowled. Couldn't they think of anything better to do than play Wizard's Chess? And if it wasn't that, they were talking about Quidditch. She stared out of the open window, at the murky, stormy grey clouds. God the weather stank.  
  
All three Gryffindor's were in their 7th year. Harry and Ron were both a lot taller and toned due to Quidditch and Hermione's bushy hair had suddenly become straight and golden in colour. She had also grown and now stood at 5'8", filling out in all the right places but not that her best friends had noticed, no, they were too interested in sports and childish boy things to even congratulate her on becoming the new Head Girl.  
  
She hadn't yet found out who the new Head Boy was, frankly she was surprised that it wasn't Harry, both his parents had been Heads in their time.  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was 4 hours later and Hermione was still staring out of the window when their compartment door slid open, she didn't even turn to look, it was probably Malfoy and his 'friends', like it always was on the train rides too and from Hogwarts.  
  
She heard shuffling of feet but oddly, no shouting 'Malfoy, get out!' by Ron, like there normally was so she turned to look and saw Ginny.  
  
"Oh hi Gin"  
  
"Hermione? Oh my god you've changed! I was just coming down to say congratulations on becoming Head Girl." She went and sat next to Harry who put his arm around her after declaring himself winner of his and Ron's chess game, much to Ron's disappointment. Harry and Ginny had been dating since 5th year "Want to know who the Head Boy is?"  
  
"I've changed, look at you! You've grown so much, if you're not careful, you'll outgrow Harry." She hugged the red-head, ignoring the scowl Harry gave her at her words "And no I don't want to know, I'd rather have a surprise."  
  
"Fine then, don't blame me if you faint during the feast."  
  
Hermione just laughed. She nudged Ron and asked "Where's you girlfriend?"  
  
Ron just sighed and stated "Don't ask me the whereabouts of Lavender Brown, probably off gossiping."  
  
Ginny looked highly irritated, "Ronald Weasley! You are meant to show how much you care for you girlfriend, not insult her, and if you must know, she's looking for you."  
  
Ron turned to his sister, clearly annoyed "I am not insulting Lavender, I do care for her. I was just stating a fact. Infact, I think I'll go and look for her now"  
  
"No need," came a voice from the doorway "I'm here, and I was not gossiping Ron. Hey, do you guys know who the Head Boy is yet? You'll never guess!" Lavender went to join Ron in his seat who gave Ginny an I-told-you-so look.  
  
"No!" shrieked Hermione, "Don't tell me." 'This place is getting way too crowded' Hermione thought. She felt left out. Her best friends, since 1st year all had girlfriends and she didn't have a boyfriend, she didn't even go and visit Viktor Krum in Bulgaria over the 4th year because she was too busy with schoolwork and concealing, from her parents, the fact that the most evil and murderous wizard of a century was back on the prowl and she was in the thick of it just because she happened to be best friends with the one person Voldemort wanted dead. If her parents had found out, you could bet that they would have had her out of there.  
  
All 5 of them had changed into their Hogwarts robes and the train was slowing down. Hermione really wanted to know who the Head Boy was and she said just that to her friends but when Ginny opened her mouth to tell her, Harry clamped his hand over her mouth and said "Ginny, you should know Hermione well enough by now to know that what she says first, she means and she said that she didn't want to know remember? She wants to find out in time."  
  
Ron laughed as they got into the horseless drawn carriages and said "As long as it isn't someone like Malfoy."  
  
Ginny and Lavender exchanged identical looks.  
  
A/N: I know that this chapter is a little short but it's only the first chapter, the rest will be longer. 


	2. You What!

Disclaimer: I own nothing (well nothing HP anyway)  
  
Chapter 2; You What!! Everyone was seated at their respective house tables. The sorting had just finished and McGonagall was taking the Sorting Hat and three-legged stool back up to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore stood up and raised an ancient hand. The hall quieted down immediately and he spoke in his usual slow but capturing voice.  
  
"Welcome, whether it be new or returning students, it is lovely to see you all again. I do have a few start of year announcements to make however. I know that this is uncommon, but we have a returning Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, due to popularity with students, professors and parents alike, I would like you all to welcome back Professor Lupin. He will be accompanied, this year, by him kind and faithful dog."  
  
Everyone clapped deafeningly loudly. Lupin was a favourite among the students. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up at the staff table and saw Remus Lupin sitting there and marvelled at how they had not spotted him before. Harry really wanted to go and talk to him and his godfather which was obviously the dog sitting next to Lupin on the floor. Dumbledore called for silence again.  
  
"Thank you. Now onto the new prefects, they are Virginia Weasley, Jason Bones, Terry Chang and Julie Baddock." Each person stood as their name was called "They in turn will share a dormitory with the new Head Girl and Boy who are Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy"  
  
Hermione stood but turned her head sharply to the Slytherin table when Malfoy's name was called. She blinked rapidly, that couldn't be him, could it? He had the same smirk and knowing look as Malfoy but where was the gel that used to slick back his hair. When did he get so tall and where did he get those muscles which were so clearly defined through the shirt he had on under his robes. She couldn't deny that he looked hot and by the look of it, he knew he did.  
  
He shifted his eyes and looked directly at her, catching her staring at him and his smirk grew even more, his eyes as cold as ice, like they always were 'Yep that's definitely Malfoy, an extremely hot Malfoy' Hermione blushed deeply as she thought this and smacked herself mentally. She would have to share living quarters with him for a whole year? How would she survive? Well at least she had Ginny to talk to. It might be fun but then she thought of Malfoy and frowned.  
  
Hermione tore her eyes away from his, realising that as she had been completely distracted, she had missed what Dumbledore had told them to do. 'Damn Malfoy!'  
  
With Dumbledore's indication that the prefects and Head's return to their seats, Hermione swivelled in her seat and turned to Ginny "You didn't tell me that that" she pointed to the Slytherin table roughly "was Head boy!" She hissed.  
  
Ginny just giggled "You think he's hot, don't you?"  
  
Hermione reddened but continued anyway "Shut up Gin, you did it on purpose! And now we have to live with it and I'm not prepared. This takes hours of emotional anguish and getting used to."  
  
Ginny giggled again. "Cool it Hermione. I tried to tell you remember, you wouldn't let me and anyway, I'm there too. If it gets so unbearable that you just need to get away before you end up chopping off one of him unmentionables, you can just come to me and we'll talk about fun ways of doing it. Oh and don't tell Harry I called him hot" She hissed.  
  
Hermione was extremely put out and was counting to ten for the fifth time. "Fine" she growled "just tell me what Dumbledore told us to do because I was too busy seething to listen and I kinda missed it."  
  
"Really?" A voice drawled behind her causing Hermione to stiffen "Mudblood Granger to preoccupied to even pay attention to the head? That's something I never thought I'd see."  
  
Hermione spun around just in time to see Malfoy dodge and catch a fist that came at him from behind. "Bit slow Weasley. Don't even try it, you're no match for me." He hadn't even turned around to see if it was Ron, it was just so obvious that it was. It was also obvious that if it was a fight against the two of them, Malfoy would win. Even if Ron was taller, Malfoy was definitely stronger.  
  
Malfoy spun around, glared at Ron and left with a "See you later Mudblood."  
  
Hermione turned back around and put her head in her hands. Ginny put an arm around her. "Dumbledore told us to meet him outside of the portrait of the four houses on the 7th floor. I'm guessing that that is the entrance to our new dorms" She added in a whisper so that no one else could hear her.  
  
Hermione nodded glumly and got up off the table, giving Ron and Harry a hug, and then heading out of the door with Ginny. "God Gin, I'm completely powerless whenever I'm near him. What's happening to me? I turned around to scold him, or in the least tell him to go and shove his head up his arse but it just wouldn't come."  
  
Ginny looked at her friend sympathetically and led the way to the place they were sure to bump into the one and only Slytherin Prince again. "Don't worry Hermione, you were just caught off guard. He won't try anything and anyway, we're Gryffindors, we do not let dirty words like Mudblood hurt us. Remember that"  
  
Hermione smiled at her "Him calling me that doesn't hurt me, it's so old and it never has. I was just so shocked that."  
  
".He's so hot?" Ginny finished.  
  
"No!" Hermione seemed outraged. "He could be anywhere you know? He might hear us so shut up. You are meant to be in a loving and long term relationship with the famous Harry Potter who is, might I remind you, one of my best friends."  
  
Ginny smiled meekly and they came to a halt at the portrait where Professor Dumbledore, Draco, Jason, Terry and Julie were already waiting.  
  
"Ah Girls" Dumbledore said, with a twinkle in his eyes "You're finally here, good. This is going to be your residence for the next year. Your house's are adjoined to the common room so it is quite easy to get there. You each have different bedrooms. Now all you have to do is think of a password. At the moment, it is 'Droobles' and you can change it at any time but to do so, you have to let the rest of the house know first or it is invalid. I think that is all. I will see you all for a meeting in a week."  
  
With that, Dumbledore turned and left. Julie said the password and they all entered. Malfoy went straight up to his bedroom but the rest stayed downstairs so that they could get to know each other a little better.  
  
The common room was really magnificent. The walls were a mixture of shimmering red, green, yellow and blue to represent the four houses. The four couches in front of the roaring fire were the four different colours. Hermione saw that the green and the red couch were together and groaned. The carpet was plush and all the furniture was antique. They each gasped as they took in their surroundings. Hermione was more pleased with the extensive rage of books they had in the bookcase on the far left of the room.  
  
They each went to the respective couches and sat down. Hermione was a bit weary of talking to Julie because she was from Slytherin, she didn't want to start the conversation in case she did a Mlafoy, sneered at her and insulted her, even if Julie was younger. But she needn't have worried.  
  
"Hi, I'm Julie Baddock, Malcolm Baddock's sister. He's a year younger than me."  
  
Hermione turned to her, smiled and shook her hand. "Hermione Granger."  
  
She was about to carry on but Julie stopped her. "Don't worry, I know who you are, everyone does. I know it can be a bit weary, talking to a Slytherin but we're not all the same" Julie said, correctly deciphering Hermione's previous reluctance to engage in conversation. "It's just Slytherin's reputation see? I don't care about blood or ability. It's what's inside." Julie smiled a genuine smile and Hermione instantly warmed to the girl. They carried on talking for a little while and Hermione thought again about how this might not be as bad as it had first seemed.  
  
Ginny was sitting at the antique desk and writing a letter, most probably to her mum and dad. Terry and Jason had gone to bed but Malfoy had returned. Hermione looked up at him and scowled.  
  
"Nice to see you too Mudblood."  
  
"Get bent Malfoy!" Hermione spat. Her pervious paralysis gone, Ginny was obviously right.  
  
Julie swivelled around and glared at him "Watch your language Draco. She hasn't done anything to you."  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes at her but didn't say anything mean to her. He obviously had a tiny amount of respect for people who came from his house. He walked away, up the stairs again.  
  
"He didn't say anything mean to you?" Hermione enquired  
  
"No, he doesn't normally behave like that anyway. I knew he wouldn't say anything"  
  
"Oh thanks" She groaned "So what you mean is that he just has a personal vendetta against me? He bloody despises me"  
  
Julie grinned weakly "I think it's just coz you're friends with Harry, I have nothing against him either, and inner demons"  
  
Hermione frowned "Demons?"  
  
"Just a theory."  
  
"Great" She muttered "Just great"  
  
A/n: That's the end of that chapter. I think we're getting somewhere. Well review please. And could people kindly not flame. Thank you. 


	3. Damn Blood

I know I haven't written in ages and that there's no reason for it, well there is actually. My cousin got married last week which meant that I had to spend 5 completely boring, computer-less days in Bradford. So I write now, with AS Levels looming closer (4 weeks to be precise)  
  
Disclaimer: I own no characters except Julie and Jason. (And this computer)  
  
Chapter 3; Damn Blood  
  
Hermione woke with the sun in her face but she didn't mind, she was a morning person.  
  
Going to the bathroom to clean up and then heading down to the common room, it was deserted, save for one person. Draco Malfoy. Hermione had avoided talking to him all week, since school had started. She didn't want to get into any fights.  
  
Holding her head up high (without looking too snobbish) she headed for the house portrait that would take her out on the common room shared by the prefects and heads but Malfoy's question stopped her.  
  
"Going somewhere Granger? It's Saturday and incase you didn't realise, we have to classes."  
  
Hermione spun around so quickly that she acquired a slight head rush. Blinking, she answered.  
  
"I don't know about you Malfoy, but I like too keep up to date with my studies!"  
  
He shrugged. "To each mudblood his own. I was just wondering if you forgot that Dumbledore" he stressed the name which made Hermione scowl heavily "requested to see us a week after school started and if my calculations a correct, which I know they are, it has been exactly a week."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Make everything difficult don't you Ferret Face? It would have been a lot easier to just say 'we have to go and see Dumbledore for our meeting'."  
  
"What, and risk sounding like a nobody, like you? I don't think so."  
  
Malfoy glared and smirked. With a swish of his cloak, he stalked out of the door, obviously expecting her to follow him but not stopping to see if she did.  
  
* * * * *  
  
They were seated in Dumbledore's office 10 minutes later, sitting as far apart as humanly possible but still looking respectable. Dumbledore however, sensed the tension but it just made him smile. They had been sitting like this for the past few minutes and Hermione was getting restless.  
  
"Uh, Professor? There are some things we need to discuss aren't there?"  
  
Dumbledore seemed to come out of a state of dreamland. He blinked rapidly. "I am sorry Miss Granger" Dumbledore chuckled "I seemed to have got a tad lost in my thoughts."  
  
Malfoy grumbled something which caused Hermione to shoot him a withering look even though she didn't hear what he said. It was obvious that Malfoy didn't think much about Dumbledore. She didn't seem to find that surprising though because she would bet her life that by the end of this year, he would become a Death Eater.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "Well as you know, ever since your fourth year, the faculty have tried to inject a bit of happiness wherever possible and I want this year to be no different. I have devised a number of parties and balls to be carried out throughout the year. Fortunately, the actual planning is left upon the Head Boy and Girl. Prefects are in charge of the decorations but you have the final say. Because of this, only you two are required to come to the meetings.  
  
I was thinking about a Halloween party, obviously a Christmas Ball, a Valentines Day party, an Easter Masquerade and a Leavers Ball which is only for seventh years."  
  
Dumbledore resettled himself onto his chair and smiled at Hermione who returned the smile and at Malfoy who fought to keep his cruel thoughts to himself.  
  
Hermione, sensing it, asked "Is that all Professor? That would give us two months to prepare the party. I am sure we can manage it." She indicated herself and Malfoy  
  
"Yes Miss Granger, that is all. Please remember that Heads have the most important job of all in this. Prefects will help, give ideas and whatnot but the outcome is mostly by you and Mr Malfoy."  
  
Hermione nodded her head and stood up, as did Malfoy. Saying goodbye, Hermione left his office, not-so-closely followed by Malfoy. When they reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, headed in opposite directions with saying a word to each other.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione was in the Library for 2 hours before two people entered and sat down opposite her. She looked up and smiled. Hi, how's Prefect duty going?  
  
Ginny and Julie smiled at her. The redhead mock yawned "Tiring. Not really. So we heard news that you had news for us."  
  
Both girls smiled. Hermione grinned. "Yep. We are going to plan a Halloween party together."  
  
Both girls squealed in delight. Ginny was ecstatic "we've never had a party before, it's normally always balls and stuff. This is going to be so much fun."  
  
"I agree" said Hermione "but I've been in here for two hours now and I'm hungry."  
  
"But the kitchens are closed." Julie said, confused.  
  
Ginny giggled. "Don't worry bout it Julez, Hermione will just sneak into the kitchens and get some food. My brother Fred showed her how to do it."  
  
"Wicked, bring us back some then. I'm starving!"  
  
Hermione nodded, grabbed her bag and rushed out of the library and straight into the gorgeous Slytherin Head Boy.  
  
"Will you watch where you're going vermin? I'm in a hurry and I don't need you bumping into me, now matter how sexy you find me. You're just a waste of perfectly good Hogwarts space."  
  
"Oh go and boil your balls elsewhere Malfoy. I just had a bath and now because of you, I need another one. Can't you keep your putrid self away from me for just a moment?" Hermione shook her head exaggeratedly, smirked and stalked off in a way only Malfoy could.  
  
He stared after her dumbstruck, scowled heavier than ever and headed towards their common room, muttering about silly bookworm's and their need to plague the blood of all good wizarding families.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione entered the common room half an hour later buried under all the food she was carrying to find that everyone was in there. They all helped her with the food, well all but Malfoy. He just stared dumbstruck.  
  
"Woohoo!" Yelled Julie. "You got it!! I can't believe it." And she helped herself to a cheese sandwich and 2 éclairs. She was a vegetarian so a lot of Hogwarts food was wasted with her.  
  
Everyone helped themselves to something, including Malfoy which Hermione secretly smiled at. It was finished unsurprisingly quickly considering that there were three boys in the room.  
  
"Right, well I have a Potions essay to complete so if you'll excuse me."  
  
Two pairs of arms grabbed her from behind and Ginny said, "Sorry Hermione, but we can't let you go. There's no need for you to go so soon. It's early and you can do it tomorrow." They smiled too sweetly and innocently. Hermione's eyes narrowed but she obliged and sat. She turned to look at the three boys and found that they were actually talking to each other civilly. Well it was expected of Terry and Jason but Malfoy too?  
  
Julie followed her gaze and nudged Hermione in the side. "I told you that he didn't treat people that bad. Actually, it's just your circle of friends he does it to." She mused "Don't let him bother you."  
  
Hermione whipped her head around. "How can I not let it? I don't like to have enemies and it irks me that Malfoy, who doesn't know me, is so quick to judge me just because of my blood and who my best friends are. He doesn't know me."  
  
"Don't let it get you down. Why should you care what he does? He's immature and a daddy's boy." Ginny piped up "He's not worth it."  
  
Julie nodded wholeheartedly.  
  
"Listen." The redhead whispered. "Why don't you go on your outing tonight? You know the ones I mean."  
  
"Which ones?" Julie asked curiously.  
  
"Ok Gin, I'll tell you later Julez or Ginny could tell you. I'm off up. Bye" she waved and left up the Head Boy and Girl staircase.  
There, that's my longest chapter to date (I think) I'll write again as soon as I can. Please review. 


	4. Flying

I have just had to do 10 hours straight of coursework and I am sooo tired, so here's the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing but what I have already mentioned (Jason and Julie) are mine.  
  
Chapter 4; Flying  
  
A week had past and Hermione went out every night at 12. No one except Ginny (and now Julie) knew the she went out when she was stressed, most importantly; she went out on her broom. Not even her best friends knew that she enjoyed flying just about as much as Harry did. It was freeing from all the stress that she had to endure doing her school work.  
  
Ginny worried about her. She didn't think it was safe but Hermione didn't agree, Hogwarts was the safest place she knew and she was sure that Dumbledore knew that she flew at night. Being Head Girl did have its advantages.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione made her way through her window at 1:30am to find someone already on her bed, waiting for her.  
  
Hermione set her broom beside her full length cupboard then turned to the person, hands on hips "Yes Gin? What did you want? You should be in bed you know? Prefect or not, there is no reason to be up this late." She joined Ginny on her four poster, king sized bed.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Look who's talking. I just finished patrolling the corridors. I know that flying lets off steam for you but I wish that you would not fly for so long."  
  
Hermione smiled grimly. "It was only an hour and a half. Besides, I have been feeling a bit more stressed than usual you know. All the extra work and all."  
  
Ginny nodded knowingly. She walked over to Hermione's bedside table and lightly touched the framed picture that was here. It was of Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny. All moving and happy. She said sadly "It's not Safe Hermione, Voldemort's still at large and if he wants to enter Hogwarts he will. He doesn't even have to do it himself. Remember the Death Eaters? They aren't afraid of Voldemort and I wouldn't put it past Malfoy."  
  
Hermione shot of the bed so fast that she nearly lost her footing. "Gin, please don't say things like that. We have to live in the same place as him and I don't want to be scared of this place. You prefects live up a different staircase and across the common room from us. I can see his bedroom door when I open mine. And anyway, we can not make assumptions without knowing the facts."  
  
Ginny sighed heavily and made her way back to Hermione "We know who his father is. How can he not be?"  
  
"Don't ask me. I'm tired so can we continue this later?"  
  
Ginny nodded, hugged Hermione and started to make her way out of the bedroom. She stopped when she came to the door and turned to say to Hermione "By the way, this room is so much better than mine. Bigger bed, bigger room and an en suite!" Hermione smiled and Ginny left the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione opened her door at 7:30am, she hadn't got much sleep after when Ginny had insinuated. She was changed and looking forward to a completely Malfoy free weekend. How she would achieve that, she didn't know.  
  
She stopped short when upon opening the door, she found Malfoy's open. He was across his room with his back to her, crouching over his trunk, obviously looking for school things.  
  
She started to tiptoe silently out of her room and down the corridor when she suddenly heard "Don't bother Granger, you're louder than a stampeding rhinoceros breaking glass."  
  
Hermione swivelled around and huffed. "Well I apologise your highness! I'm sorry I disturbed your much needed silence. I'll leave you be shall I?"  
  
Malfoy stood up straight, to his full and intimidating 6ft 3in. he turned to face her, gorgeous as ever and said in a slow voice. "Don't patronise me mudblood. I don't care what you think or feel. You're worse than Voldemort and that's saying something."  
  
Hermione let his words wash over her, except the last part. 'Did he just say Voldemort?' Not even his followers said his name; it was like they were more afraid of him than the good witches and wizards.  
  
Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow. "I doubt I'm comparable to him Malfoy. I have not murdered anyone and I'm not evil, unlike some."  
  
"No, but you're still a filthy mudblood like him, disgusting to look at, just like him and a coward to top it all."  
  
Hermione laughed out loud at that. "Me, a coward? Whatever you say Malfoy but just think about this. After all I have faced in my past 6 year's here, it would really take a jealous git to call me a coward. As far as I know, you have done nothing brave or kind. Hiding in your father's shadow and just being an all round annoying bully." She looked at him with growing disgust "you're worthless." She spat.  
  
She turned and departed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione was sitting in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, enjoying the sun while doing her 12ft essay which Ron had complained vehemently about. He didn't think it was right to be set homework that was double your height. Hermione, of course, had been delighted. She liked showing that she knew her stuff, even if it was stressful at times.  
  
She had just about reached 10ft when she felt the air above her move, the weather was still so she looked up, rolled her eyes and shouted "Ronald Weasley! What have I told you about flying over me?!"  
  
"Well it's not my fault you're afraid of brooms." He called back.  
  
"Shows how much you know." She muttered and continued her work.  
  
Ron flew over the other side of the pitch after that, coming back now and again to have a chat. It was mostly to ask her if she would help him with his essay which she blatantly refused to do.  
  
Two hours later, Hermione was packing up and heading back to the school (Ron had gone in 30 minutes earlier) when she bumped into someone.  
  
"World of your own Hermione?" the person asked.  
  
Hermione shook off the sudden surprise and smiled. "Hi Julez, how are you?"  
  
"Fine. Are you avoiding someone?" she asked it in a way that told Hermione she knew exactly what she was hiding from.  
  
"No." Hermione said shortly  
  
"Right, not even Draco?"  
  
"Definitely not him. I'm not afraid of him."  
  
"I know you're not. You're a Gryffindor and they are not afraid of anything." Julie laughed. "Want to plan the party?"  
  
Hermione cocked her head, puzzled and stared at the crystal blue sky. "The Halloween party? It should be fun but I do not want to work with Malfoy."  
  
"You'll get used to him" they sat on the steps of the school "He isn't all bad."  
  
"No" agreed Hermione "He's mostly bad."  
  
Julie giggled. "You're judging him and you don't know him. I bet you thought I couldn't possibly be good as I am in Slytherin, right?"  
  
Hermione tried to protest but found that she couldn't. Julie was right.  
  
Julie nodded in understanding. "Our house has prejudices, just like everyone else. I proved to you that I'm not like that but it's harder for other people. Draco gets on fine with the prefects and other houses. He doesn't criticise. He has grown up from the arrogant boy that he was. Life is much harder now after Voldemort returned and you can't be too careful"  
  
Hermione had a burning question which she would not ask Malfoy. "Julie, how come Malfoy says Voldemort's name? I thought Death Eaters and everyone apart from Harry, Dumbledore and a few others, were afraid to say his name."  
  
The look on Julie's face could have stopped the world going round. It held such disappointment. "I'm a Slytherin but definitely not a future Death Eater and neither is Draco. He hates Voldemort."  
  
Hermione flinched, she didn't mean to hurt Julie's feelings "Which goes to show that he hates me more. He compared me to him and said that I was worse."  
  
Julie rolled her eyes. "This rivalry you two have is getting out of hand. You're both adults. Can't you put it behind you? I know that Draco hates Harry and Ron but it really isn't worth it."  
  
"I agree Julez, but there's nothing I can do."  
  
"Ok, change of subject. I want to see how well you fly."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped. "Not here Julez. I never fly at daylight. The only reason Ginny knows is because she caught me one time. I haven't even told Harry and Ron."  
  
"Fine, but you're showing my tonight."  
  
"Deal"  
  
"Can we go back to our common room now?"  
  
Hermione nodded, stooped to pick up her bag and walked back to her new quarters with Julie, bumping into Harry along the way who wanted help with his essay. Hermione's answer was the same 'Do it yourself or you'll never learn. I might not even be here tomorrow. What will you do then?'  
  
They collapsed onto their respective sofas in front of the fire. Someone was coming down the Head staircase which could only mean that it was Malfoy. 'Great' Hermione groaned inwardly. She turned her head to look at him and gasped (which was very audible from where Julie sat, making her giggle, Hermione shot her a look that promised death) Malfoy was wearing a tight black t-shirt and black, tailored trousers which went very well with his hair. It also showed off his toned body which Hermione had to admit, was very (stress the very) nice. Her mouth hung open. It was a good thing Malfoy was not looking at them because she didn't think that she would have been able to stop staring, even if she wanted to. Which she didn't  
  
Julie leaned over and whispered "if you don't stop drooling, you're going to drown in it!"  
  
"I am not drooling" Hermione growled  
  
"But it's quite obvious of what you are doing and yes, you are that obvious."  
  
Hermione shut her mouth and called across to Malfoy. "Muggle clothes Malfoy? I thought you despised that lot of em!"  
  
Malfoy turned around and looked at her lazily. An unrecognised emotion flashed in his eyes but before Hermione could pinpoint it, it was gone. "Didn't know you cared to look mudblood." This earned him yet another telling off from Julie, which he ignored. "I would advise you not to, I'm not yours for the taking."  
  
"Oh you're breaking my heart Draco! How will I go on?" Hermione said, sarcasm dripping from her like water.  
  
"Try your two boyfriends." Draco said. Yet again, something flashed in his eyes but Hermione didn't bother to pick up on it.  
  
"Sorry, they're already taken." Someone called from the portrait hole.  
  
Hermione swivelled around to find Ginny there, smiling. Hermione couldn't think why. She didn't realise that what seemed like a very controlled argument between two enemies, to her, looked like a lovers tiff to everyone else.  
  
Julie and Ginny exchanged knowing glances which irritated Hermione. He might be gorgeous, he might be every girls dream but Hermione Granger did not like Draco Malfoy one bit. The spoilt, arrogant prick.  
  
Hermione turned back to Malfoy. "So I noticed Malfoy, now do you care to tell me why you are wearing clothes made by people you clearly feel are a lower life form than yourself."  
  
Malfoy stared at her for a few moments and then simply said. "No." He left the common room through the portrait hole.  
  
"Where's he going?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Quidditch practise" Julie answered.  
  
"Looking like that?"  
  
"What can I say?" Julie shrugged "He dresses to please."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"His fan club."  
  
"He has one?!" Both Ginny and Hermione asked, astounded.  
  
Julie giggled. "Yes, the founders are Gryffindor's."  
  
"Who?" They said in unison  
  
"Why Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil of course."  
  
"Of course." Hermione said, exasperated. "We should have known. They'll make a fan club for anything that looks good. They already made one for Harry. Only Ginny's a founder too."  
  
Ginny had joined Hermione on the couch by that time. "I am not a founder of that club Hermione! How many times have I had to threaten them into leaving him alone? Not even the prospect of having to kiss Snape will deter them."  
  
"Yeah." Julie said "But you get him up close and personal. He's yours remember. Just like Hermione wants Draco to be hers."  
  
Julie had to dodge the book that came her way after she said that. "Hey!" she cried "That could have hit me!"  
  
"It was meant to! If I was Ginny (Chaser for Gryffindor), it would have hit you so thank your lucky stars."  
  
Julie just laughed. "Deny it all you want but just think, if you did get him, you'd have what the girls really want. Now that Harry's taken" Julie inched away from Ginny "lots of girls are hot for him."  
  
"Not me!" Hermione cried  
  
Ginny set the book down that she had picked up to show Julie just how good her Chaser skills were, by knocking her nose off. She decided that they had reached safe territory.  
  
Julie shrugged. "Like I said, deny it all you want."  
  
Hermione groaned. "I'm going to bed."  
  
Ginny looked at her watch, which Hermione didn't understand. "Right now Hermione? It's only 5pm."  
  
"Yeah, well you two have tired me out. My brain's gone all mushy."  
  
"For Draco?" Julie asked innocently.  
  
Hermione couldn't even bring herself to glare so she just said. "You do the honours for me Gin."  
  
Ginny nodded and proceeded to tackle Julie. Hermione went to sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione was woken at 11:45pm. When she became fully aware, she realised that something was walking on her. She screamed and fell off the side of her bed, landing on a heap on the floor. She heard doors bang open and in a few seconds everyone was there, all four prefects and Draco Malfoy!?  
  
Hermione untangled herself and stood up, trying to gain as much dignity as one could get when they had just been caught falling off their bed with bed hair and extremely creased pjs.  
  
"What happened?" Ginny said, coming to stand opposite her.  
  
Hermione looked down at the offending walker, Crookshanks. She tried to hold down her embarrassment and said "Crookshanks woke me up, by walking on me."  
  
Julie laughed "So he is as clever as they say he is. I sent him in here to wake you up because you promised my something outside of school today remember?" Julie gave her a pressing look and suddenly it clicked.  
  
"Oh right! Yeah. Sorry for waking you everyone. I hope I haven't disrupted your sleep completely."  
  
The boys left, trying to hold back laughs, even Malfoy, which made Hermione think of the worst ways to remove his heart while he was still alive.  
  
Ginny left shortly after and Julie turned to Hermione. "Going flying then?"  
  
"Seeing as I'm awake." Hermione said, grabbing her broom.  
  
* * * * *  
  
End of chapter. That has to be the longest. Well I'll update soon, bye.  
  
Review please. No flames. Thanx 


	5. Fighting?

Disclaimer: I am 16 years old, in my first year of college (Which I finish on Friday) so how can I be J K Rowling? I own nothing except for the characters you don't recognise.  
  
Chapter 5; Fighting?  
  
Hermione and Julie returned from their night-time flying a few hours later. They laid their brooms next to the cupboard and went to sit in Hermione's bed. Hermione was still slightly miffed at the way she had been woken up. "What on Earth did you tell him to do?"  
  
"Who, Crookshanks? I just told him to go and wake you up in the loudest way possible. I didn't think he could do it coz.well.he's a cat but it was pretty funny to hear you scream. I just figured he always woke you up like that"  
  
Hermione glared, seeing red. "It was so embarrassing! Did you see everyone come in here?"  
  
"Yep, including a topless Malfoy." Julie giggled  
  
"Well at least that's something to tell the kids. Slytherin's can giggle without looking like Pansy Parkinson trying to win 'The Most Ugliest Person' contest."  
  
Julie laughed hard at that.  
  
"You're cunning, you know that Julie Baddock?"  
  
"Yep. I am still a Slytherin remember." Julie had proceeded to lay down on Hermione's bed with her hands behind her head but suddenly shot up when she heard something at the window.  
  
"Keep your hair on Julez, it's just Hedwig."  
  
"Who-Wig?"  
  
"Hedwig, Harry's owl. No doubt he wants help with some form of homework and knowing he can't enter here, sent his poor owl."  
  
"Ah, well read it out then."  
  
Hermione opened the letter and grimaced. It read.  
  
Hi Hermione, How is life without your two bestest ('that isn't a word,' she exclaimed) friends in the world? I'd love to be in your position right now. I stole Hedwig to send you this letter because Pigwidgeon is off hunting crickets. It's not like he can carry anything else. I hope having to live with Malfoy isn't as bad as it seems but cheer up, Ginny's there for company. I heard that Julie Baddock's ok so there's someone else for you to talk to. Now I'm not saying that I trust Slytherin's but there's always one or two differences I mean take Percy for example. Well I don't have long to write because I should be doing my 'homework' so I'll be off.  
  
(This is where the handwriting changes. It's neater and obviously Harry's.)  
  
It's not called stealing if I know he's using her, is it Hermione? Well just to tell you that we want to know if you're safe and you have to write back right now. That's all we have to say. Oh and could you help us with our essay?  
  
Luv Harry and Ron.  
  
Hermione still had her grimace after she finished reading. She wrote her reply which was short and non-committal and grumbling, she sent it off with Hedwig. Then she joined Julie on the bed again.  
  
"They care about you, don't they?"  
  
Hermione sighed "Talk about overprotective. They treat me like a very little naive sister. Like I don't know how to handle my self or something. I hate it!"  
  
"Have you ever had a crush on either of them?"  
  
"Hell no. Hate to admit it, but I feel like they're my older brothers."  
  
"Oh you hypocrite. You hate being treated like their sister but you treat them like brothers."  
  
"No, I don't mind being treated like a sister but they just take it too far. They treat me worse than Ginny."  
  
"Oh right."  
  
Julie's eyes wondered over to the brooms, Hermione, seeing this, asked "HHHhhghhhow was the flying?"  
  
Julie glowed. "Brilliant, but I wouldn't be able to do it as much as you. I'm not that into flying, above a certain height and I get afraid of falling off."  
  
"Oh don't worry, that happens to a lot of people. I love flying."  
  
"I'm sure. It is very relaxing. And I won't tell a soul."  
  
"I trust you. So are you going to go back to sleep then? I couldn't even if I wanted to. I've already had enough today."  
  
Julie nodded. "Are you coming down or staying here?"  
  
"I'll come, I want to talk to Professor Flitwick about my Charms essay."  
  
They headed downstairs and while Julie headed up a different staircase to her bedroom, Hermione left the common room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
It didn't matter how long Hermione took with the Professor because it was Sunday and student had a choice in what they wanted to do. She spent quite a few hours there, going over her essay and learning a few new Charms that Professor Flitwick was only too eager to help her learn.  
  
"Thank you Professor. Are you sure that it was ok to teach me these Charms? I mean won't we be learning them soon?"  
  
"I am here to teach Miss Granger" Squeaked the tiny professor "and I believe that that is what I have just done."  
  
Hermione smiled gratefully and left.  
  
By the time Hermione began to wander the corridors again, most students were already up. She was just thinking about the Fidelius Charm she had learnt. Obviously, she knew all about it, having heard it via eavesdropping in her 3rd year, when Professor Flitwick was explaining it in the 'Three Broomsticks'. Harry's parents had used it.  
  
Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone was in her way until she had collided, hard, with them.  
  
"Bloody hell Granger!" Malfoy bellowed "I know you're jealous, you just need to touch me, but you can't have me."  
  
"Like anyone would want you!" she spat, interrupting him, he just ignored her and carried on as if she had said nothing.  
  
"and your boyfriend's aren't even available anymore. Can't think why anyone would want a geek with and ugly scar or a long-nosed dumb-ass who calls dirt money because he's never seen the real thing."  
  
Hermione had had enough. She grabbed her wand and threw a leg-locker curse at him, which he deflected easily. He had obviously learned his stuff. He threw a tickle curse at her which she in turn blocked. They had learned this in Defence Against the Dark Arts. She tried to hit him with the Furnunculus curse but he ducked, causing Hermione to look on in horror as it ricocheted off the wall, breaking a torch and half the wall apart. They carried on like this for quite a few minutes as the throng of people got larger; they all wanted to see their heads trying to blast each other to smithereens. That was until the teacher turned up.  
  
"ENOUGH!!!" McGonagall had arrived, throwing a barmy (manic fit). "I expect better from the Heads and I certainly do not expect fighting. IN FRONT OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS?! I do not care what the reason is. Never in all my time as a teacher here, have I ever seen such blatant disregard for the rules and the state of the castle." She looked around at the havoc that they had created. "You two are the most prominent student in this school! No two heads have ever behaved is such a manner, well maybe Potter and Evans." Hermione gasped "Harry's parents?" McGonagall glared, realising she had strayed off the point. "Never you mind. You will learn to behave if you intend to keep your badges and for god's sake, grow up! What would your father say?" She said to Malfoy. "And everything you've worked for?" She added to Hermione. "100 points from each of your houses and a detention cleaning up this chaos. Now get out of my sight"  
  
They walked away, in opposite directions, heads bowed in shame but they distinctly heard "I told Albus that this was a bad idea."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room, not having the courage to go back to her dorm so soon. Harry and Ron were with her, although Harry was a tad preoccupied at this particular moment as he was rolling on the floor laughing.  
  
"You didn't?" Ron asked impressed, fighting his mad urge to scream with laughter a lot more successfully than Harry.  
  
Hermione hid her face behind her hands in shame. "Yes" Her speech was muffled "and I go a warning, detention and a 100 points from Gryffindor too."  
  
That stopped Harry from laughing. "A hundred points?!!?"  
  
"Yes Harry one hundred."  
  
Ron didn't seem to care though. "Wow, you're the only who's ever hit him before. In year 3 and now."  
  
Hermione stared at the carpet from in-between her fingers. "Ron, this is awful!! What are the Gryffindor's going to say when they find out that their Head Girl lost them 100 points?"  
  
"Probably 'wow, she hit Malfoy and got away with her life. Amazing!'" Ron supplied helpfully.  
  
"I didn't hit him, he ducked every one, just like I did. But we did do considerable damage to the corridor. Our detention is to clean it up."  
  
Harry had finally calmed down and spoke, he himself had lost Gryffindor enough points after all so he was no better. "Together?"  
  
"We both did the crime, we both do the time and yes, that means together."  
  
"Don't work about it Hermione" Ron said "People are used to us losing points and getting them all back again. They'll wait till the end of the year, if we lose the house cup (for the first time in 6 years), then they'll kill you."  
  
Hermione groaned "Ever the bearer of wisdom you are Ron."  
  
He just smiled.  
  
Harry grinned "Good for you Hermione. He deserves some punishment. Even if he didn't get any, he'll know no to mess with you again."  
  
"My badge will be taken if it happens again and I'm sure that I'll lose so many points that well be in the minuses."  
  
The boys just grinned.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "I think it's time to face the prefects.and Head boy" she added as an afterthought.  
  
She walked through the door that lead straight to her common room. Only she could see it. When she opened the other door, she found Julie, Jason and Ginny sitting close together and laughing. They stopped suddenly when they saw her and Hermione could only think 'oh dear, they hate me for all the points I've lost.' But they smiled and Hermione relaxed.  
  
"Did you really blow a corridor apart?" Ginny asked  
  
"Really not in the mood Gin." Hermione said, tired  
  
"Oh come on." Julie said. "Fighting with your future husband and lifelong live partner, how was it?"  
  
Hermione's features darkened "I am warning you Julie, give it a rest."  
  
"Oh come on Hermione. Everyone thinks it." Ginny and Jason nodded.  
  
Hermione spoke very slowly "I will become a nun and never venture out of my hole before I even think about fancying that."  
  
"Isn't denial a beautiful thing?" Julie asked Ginny and Jason.  
  
"Are all Slytherin's this irritating?" Hermione growled.  
  
"No, just me. You'll admit it sooner or later."  
  
"If so, why did I fight him?"  
  
"Ah yes, back to the question at hand."  
  
"Not going there."  
  
"Was it sexual frustration?" Ginny and Jason had to turn away so Hermione wouldn't know they were laughing. She wasn't that dumb though and glared daggers at all three of them.  
  
"Yes that must be why we tried to kill each other."  
  
"Well Malfoy's been back and he didn't seem cut up about it." Ginny said.  
  
"Yeah, well people expect it off him, not me." Hermione was close to tears of frustration.  
  
"Um Hermione, hate to break it to ya, but we do expect it off you." Julie said, sensing her distress.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well you hang out with Ron and Harry and they always get into trouble. It's expected off you."  
  
"Oh, well I'm going to bed, I might try and kill myself so if you don't hear from me tomorrow, you'll know why."  
  
She was joking about the killing herself, but she really was tired.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Well that's the end of another chapter. Have to do boring stuff now so ciao. waves and departs  
  
Review please. No flames thanx. 


	6. The Cleanup and Oh Dear

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling! I have a Psychology exam tomoro YAY! (Not really good) and I just want some time off. So here it is.  
  
Chapter 6; The Cleanup and Oh Dear.  
  
If Hermione thought that things couldn't get any worse. She was wrong. Early the next day Ginny came into her room, telling her that Dumbledore was asking for her and Malfoy in his office (the password was acid pop) so there she was, again, in as little as a week.  
  
"Right well, Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy. I have been informed of what took place yesterday."  
  
He looked stern, no twinkle in the eyes. Dumbledore loved Hogwarts and they had just about destroyed a section of it. It was easily fixable but that wasn't where the problem lay.  
  
"I really did expect better of you Miss Granger. I will not belittle you because neither of you are little children anymore. I know that both of you have this ongoing feud." Now he turned to look at Malfoy. "Mr Malfoy. Do not judge someone by the company they keep. Yes, Miss Granger is best friends with Mr Potter, but do not let that be the reason that you hate someone. How would you feel if people avoided and hated you because of what you have for a father?"  
  
Malfoy looked down. Hermione guessed that he was thinking 'I don't hate her coz she's friends with scarhead, it's coz of her vile blood.' But that was just her guess.  
  
Now he looked at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I thought you, at least, would remember the Feast at the end of your fourth year. Both of you are on the same side. I chose you two for the Heads because you are the best students academically. Adults do not behave this way. You will do your detention tonight. The entrance to that corridor has been sealed because it is hazardous at the moment. Your lessons have been pardoned which means that you can get to work as of this very moment.  
  
Hermione flashed a glance at Malfoy, daring him to argue but he didn't. There was not point, Dumbledore was right.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione stood outside the caution sign that stood before yesterday's wreckage. There was a spell protecting it. One that no one except Hermione and Malfoy could get through. They had refrained from talking to each other on their walk down here; they had too much to think about. One thought that kept popping into Hermione's head was 'how could I have been so stupid?'  
  
Dumbledore hadn't told them how to get through the spell so she opted on just walking through the protection spell. She raised her foot to walk over it but was almost immediately stopped. Malfoy had a firm grip on her arm and said. "Are you mad Granger? That place is dangerous and you don't know what the spell will do to you."  
  
Hermione removed her arm from his grip and turned to face him head on, which was quite difficult as her was at least 4 inches taller than her so she backed up a bit and tilted her head up. "This is our fault Malfoy. I already feel bad enough about it and if you think I care about a little spell or the fact that I could get killed falling from a hole in the floor and spearing myself on a broken torch bracket, you have another thing coming." And she proceeded to walk over the caution barrier and through the spell, surprisingly unscathed. Malfoy shrugged and followed.  
  
They had been standing around for 5 minutes and Hermione was thinking 'they could at least have told us what to do' when Malfoy spoke "They could at least have told us what to do!"  
  
Hermione let out a frustrated sigh, "Do you always complain? Can't you just accept it?"  
  
She ignored the voice in her head that mocked 'but you were just thinking exactly the same thing!'  
  
Malfoy glowered "I can accept the fact that this whole mess is you fault. You started it."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Malfoy. I don't have time to nurture the boy in you. You keep blaming me and I'll clear this up ok? Seeing that it was you who tried to hit me with curses. It must have been me huh? I must have aimed them at myself"  
  
Malfoy couldn't help the tiny bit of respect that grew for her just then but he could suppress it. He grabbed his wand and walked towards the damage.  
  
Hermione started to heal the castle. It was tiring work. The spells needed were very powerful and she had to sit down quite a few times and rest. She wasn't as fit as Malfoy who didn't rest at all. He did remove his robe though. This was another reason that Hermione didn't want to look at him. All he had on was a t-shirt and trousers.  
  
Hermione wiped the sweat off her forehead, panting. They had been at it for several hours now, sharing words every now and again but conversation was very strained and Hermione felt that she had run a marathon every time she tried, that's how much effort it took.  
  
The castle was all but repaired at 8 o'clock that evening. Hermione was sure that she had never spent this much time with him. She used a quick spell to clean herself up. She didn't like it much because it always made her feel like she had stepped into an ice bath, even worse than walking into a ghost and living there. She had to warm herself up very quickly after that.  
  
Draco stared at her, amused. "It would have been easier to just have a shower Granger. We are done here."  
  
Hermione turned and scowled at him "You might enjoy being all sweaty and wet, but I do not."  
  
Malfoy knew what she was implying and scowled in return. He advanced on her and hissed "Don't insinuate things which you clearly have no idea about?"  
  
Hermione wasn't afraid of him. "If the shoe fits. I do not intend to have a repeat performance of yesterday Malfoy. So if you'll excuse me."  
  
She made to walk past him but he stopped her. Her way was blocked and only Malfoy could let her pass, something she was sure, he didn't intend to do. "I won't excuse you Mudblood. Getting you to understand doesn't necessarily involve destroying a castle in the process. I am not a slut and I do not sleep with everybody."  
  
Hermione bristled at him. "I don't care Malfoy. I never have. Sleep with whoever you like, I don't need to hear about it."  
  
"Is that what everyone thinks? That I just sleep with every girl I can get my hands on?" he said quietly "There's nothing to hear about!" he didn't mean for that to come out, it just did.  
  
Hermione smiled but it wasn't friendly. "Yes, that is what everyone thinks. Pansy has lots of stories about you two. You must be good Malfoy because she even wants us Gryffindor's to hear about it." Hermione hid the fact that this hurt. She didn't know why it did, but it did.  
  
Malfoy took it as an insult, he rebounded and blinked repeatedly. He couldn't see the look Hermione was wearing because it was so dark. If he could see it, he would have seen the hurt because Hermione was losing that particular battle. He advanced on her again and growled "Pansy is an ugly git. She's skanky and throws herself at anybody. If you think that I'd lower myself to her, you're very mistaken. I don't fool around with people. I have more integrity than that."  
  
Hermione felt one hot tear roll down her cheek. It wasn't because she was afraid or because she was hurt. She didn't know why it was but she knew that she had hurt his feeling, that much was clear.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione entered the common room, having just visited the kitchens for food. Both she and Draco had missed it because of the huge repair work. She also didn't think that she could face him right now.  
  
Only Julie was there, doing her homework. "Hey Julie, look, I just wanted to give you this ok? It's for Malfoy. He hasn't had anything to eat today." She handed Julie a food basket which she took and set beside her. Then Julie looked up questioningly but Hermione just added. "Don't tell him it's from me. He'll think I've poisoned it or something."  
  
Julie nodded, feeling that this wasn't the right time to tease Hermione about Malfoy and her.  
  
"I'm going to take a bath."  
  
She spent a good half hour in the bath, thinking things over. Being head girl was supposed to be a good thing but it hadn't turned out that way so far. She had never had so many house points taken away from her and this didn't even have anything to do with Harry or Ron, well not physically anyway. She had also never felt this sore before in her life.  
  
She stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself. Walking into her bedroom, she saw Julie. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Is my bedroom a free-for-all? Am I allowed no privacy?"  
  
Julie smiled kindly. "You seemed troubled down there. I gave Draco the food, he didn't even ask who had given it. I just think he was so hungry. He also seemed troubled but I know better than to ask him what's up at times like that."  
  
Hermione rummaged through her full length cupboard for some clothes. "Yeah, well. I guess it's because I subtly accused him of being a male slut."  
  
"Male slut?" Julie wore an extremely puzzled look.  
  
"Yeah, someone who goes around sleeping with everyone. It was very, very subtle. He just happened to pick up on it in a way only Malfoy can."  
  
Julie groaned.  
  
"What are you groaning for?" Hermione asked. She had chosen her outfit and walked behind her changing curtains to put them on.  
  
"He doesn't take kindly to people accusing him of that. We Slytherin's try to play down the fact that everyone else thinks of him as a 'Playboy'. He isn't."  
  
Hermione poked her head around the curtains "What do you mean?"  
  
"Exactly what it sounds like." Julie had gone red. It didn't look like an embarrassed red either. Or an angry red.  
  
"Hold on, what are you getting at?" Hermione was finished changing and came out in her black strappy top and black three-quarter-length.  
  
"He's a virgin." Julie whispered.  
  
Hermione eye's widened "OOooo, gossip. Spill."  
  
Julie rolled her eyes. "That's just it, if he was what you thought he was, then there would be something to 'spill' but he's not so there isn't. Simple."  
  
Hermione pouted "I guess I was a bit cold, condescending and cruel huh?"  
  
"That about sums it up. So do you have any gossip about Harry and Ginny?"  
  
A voice spoke from the door. "We're still as innocent as new born babies."  
  
They both swivelled around to see Ginny. Hermione muttered "I guess it is a damn free-for-all."  
  
Julie looked distraught "So no gossip?!"  
  
Ginny smiled and sat in Hermione's armchair. "Fraid not hun."  
  
"You two haven't done anything? At all?"  
  
Ginny shook her head. "Except kissed him. But that's to be expected. Why?"  
  
Julie rolled her eyes. "Because you're 16, that's why. You're legal."  
  
"DROP IT!!!" Hermione screamed. "This is all my fault, I should never have accused Malfoy and he was right. I had no proof."  
  
Ginny's grin widened "OOOoooo gossip?"  
  
Hermione threw her pillow at Ginny and buried herself under her covers "Leave while you still can, I'm sleeping. NOW!!!"  
  
She heard Ginny whispering 'you can tell me downstairs'.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione walked around the grounds with Harry, Ginny, Ron and Lavender. They were holding hands and standing very close. She had never felt more like a fifth wheel. They were in love, oblivious to the feeling of their best friends. They were once such good friends. The trio that knew everything about each other. They still cared for each other but she felt that she was missing out on something.  
  
They seemed so happy and Hermione couldn't help thinking about the fact that she had never had a boyfriend before. They always thought that she first and only love was her books. She frowned and shrugged. That was the life of Hermione Granger.  
  
"Harry? Ginny?" She called. They all turned to look at her. "I'm gonna take off ok? I have to get work done."  
  
They fell for it hook, line and sinker.  
  
Nodding, she left. She went straight back to her common room. Thinking about her social life, which was basically non-existent. She had a spur-of- the-moment thought. She wanted to fly and it couldn't be suppressed so she went upstairs and mounted her broom, flying out of the window and straight towards the sun. She made sure not to look directly at it.  
  
Everyone looked so small, it seemed a lot more foreboding. She could judge the distance now that they were down there. When she was all alone, she couldn't really see the distance. Hermione tried to find two red-heads in the midst of the entire blonde and black. They were the most easiest to spot. She found them almost instantly. Trying to be as conspicuous as you can be when you are 100 feet above you friends, flying on a broomstick they do not have, she flew away, over the hill.  
  
Hermione had never flown in daylight before and she felt self conscious. That was probably why she flew a little further than before. That was also probably why she didn't really pay attention to where she was going. She flew out of the schools bounds without knowing it. She didn't know that someone was behind her, not until it was too late. He was dressed completely in black with a mask over his face. She heard him yell 'stupefy' and then she knew no more.  
  
Hermione fell off her broom which landed on the soft grass below, she didn't though. Where was she carried? She wasn't awake to find out.  
  
* * * * *  
  
And so endeth the chapter. Hope you liked it. Please review so that I will be spurred onto greater heights to write more. ( 


	7. It's Because of Love, Isn't it?

Disclaimer: I only own Jason and Julie. Oh and the storyline.  
  
Chapter 7; It's Because of Love, Isn't It?  
  
Harry and Ron sat around their table in the Gryffindor common room doing their Potions essay. Harry was chewing the end of his quill while Ron was grumbling away as usual. "I can't believe that she refused to help us with our essay!"  
  
Harry smiled a little "Yes you can, she always refuses. You know that. And besides, she's had to repair the castle with Malfoy remember? That has got to be tiring in itself."  
  
Ron was still grumbling. "She doesn't spend time with us anymore."  
  
Harry was saddened by this fact. "She's busy with extra work as Head Girl. We're no better are we? Do we try and get her to engage in conversation?"  
  
That shut him up.  
  
"We haven't seen her since this morning. Think she's in the common room?"  
  
Ron shrugged, scribbling something out on him parchment. "If it was me, I'd want to spend as less time with Malfoy as humanly possible. He might rub off on us." He made an amusing face.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to answer but instead, clapped his hands over his ears. The booming voice of the deputy headmistress rang out all over the castle. Even with their hands over their ears, people could still hear what she said as if she was standing right next to them.  
  
"Would all the students please make their way down to the Great Hall please. Drop everything you are doing."  
  
It was short and abrupt, her tone clipped. Harry sensed something under it but like everyone else; he got up slowly from his chair and headed out of the Gryffindor portrait hole, Ron at his side.  
  
Ron looked nervous. "What do you thinks happened?"  
  
Harry had that familiar sense of foreboding in his very soul. Something wasn't right. "I have no idea. I'm not sure I want to find out."  
  
No matter how many years he had been at Hogwarts, every tragedy seemed to involve him and this felt like one of those times. The entire student population arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall, each looking more nervous. Since Voldemort's return, 3 years ago, people had gotten used to news of murder, attack and insanity but in never got easier to hear about it.  
  
They entered to hall and walked to their respective tables. Harry and Ron looked over to Dumbledore and saw his expression of unmistakeable sadness. They had never seen it look so lost. Professor McGonagall stood from her seat and clapped her hands loudly for attention. When she was sure that she had it, she sat back down. Then Dumbledore stood.  
  
Harry noticed a broomstick lying on the table next to Professor McGonagall. When his eyes swivelled to Hagrid, Harry saw that he was crying and his heart began to thump like mad. Nothing ever made Hagrid cry like that. He looked back at Dumbledore who was taking his time to formulate what he was about to say. Then he began.  
  
"The looks on each and every one of your faces shows anxiety. At times like this, it is not uncommon. This is why I am deeply sorry to have to announce this. Nothing has pained me more than this for a long time." He carefully picked up the broomstick.  
  
"This broom was found a little way out of Hogwarts by Hagrid and by examination and a simple spell, we were able to work out who it belonged to." Dumbledore looked down, he couldn't seem to face the students. He did look up eventually but the pain in the eyes was evident.  
  
"The broom belonged to the Head Girl."  
  
Harry felt as if his heart had stopped. It was Hermione's broom? He turned to Ron. "Did you know that she has a broom? Why is he talking about her as if in the past tense?"  
  
Ron was choked up. "I didn't know. She's not dead? Did she fall off?"  
  
Dumbledore continued. "We have searched all over for Miss Granger, but we can not find her. She is not in this castle and as her broom was found out- of-bounds of Hogwarts, it seems that the only reason is that she was riding it at the time."  
  
Everyone in the school understood what Dumbledore was saying. Hermione Granger could be dead. No one knew.  
  
Harry had to pay attention to what Dumbledore was saying.  
  
"The only thing we can imagine is that she was taken by death eaters. We do not know how good her chances are, considering that she is muggleborn. We only hope that she is still alive. I only ask to see the Prefects and Head Boy in their common room as soon as possible, preferably in the next half hour."  
  
Many girls were drying at the shocking news. A lot of people liked Hermione. She was just a likeable person. Harry and Ron could not bring themselves to look at the Slytherin's. Harry was sure that he would kill Malfoy if he saw that smirk.  
  
Ginny was crying as she turned to her boyfriend. Julie came over to the Gryffindor table, also crying. Ginny managed to speak through her heaving sobs. "Harry? Ron? We have to find her."  
  
Harry looked grave, as did Ron. They couldn't believe it. "I won't let her die Ron. I agree with Gin, we have to find her."  
  
Ginny made a space for Julie which she took. She wiped her eyes and turned to her brother. "Well what do we do? We have no idea where they are. There are so many death eaters and too many houses to search. We'll never make it in time, before she's murdered."  
  
Ron looked at Ginny, shocked. "Whatever we decide Ginny, you're not coming."  
  
"What!" Both Julie and Ginny shrieked.  
  
Harry agreed. "You are not of age. You can not use your magic outside of school and there is not hope of you getting there and back in time. Oh and another thing, there is not chance in hell that I'd let you go with us into a potentially fatal situation."  
  
Julie was not backing down. "She is our friend too and you have used your magic outside of school before."  
  
Harry shook his head, he felt so helpless. "That was a matter of life and death. I didn't have a choice. I would have been killed otherwise."  
  
"Well so is this." Ginny said, sniffing.  
  
"No", began Ron "Here you have a choice. I am not letting my sister go in there. Harry was kidnapped in 4th year. You are not coming."  
  
Ginny was crying again. "You think that I want my brother and boyfriend to go into a circle of death eaters?"  
  
"I have survived Voldemort 4 times Gin, let's just hope that I get lucky again." Harry said quietly.  
  
Julie finally agreed with Ron. "Ginny, he's right you know. We would just hold them back."  
  
Tears still cascaded down Ginny's face. She nodded and said to Julie. "Come in Julez, we have to meet Dumbledore."  
  
They joined the other prefects and Malfoy at the entrance to the Great hall and left.  
  
Ron put his head in his hand and his elbows on the table, nobody bothered them. "Ginny's right Harry, we don't know where she is and anything could be happening to her right now. How did this happen? What do we do?"  
  
Harry had acquired a stony look. "I suggest that we ask someone who has connections with death eaters. Someone we know for sure would know."  
  
From behind them, someone said. "Ask away."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The blackness cleared from Hermione's eyes as she blinked rapidly. She couldn't move. She looked down and saw that her ankles were bound by shackles as were her wrists. The ends of the chains weren't tied to anything, they just disappeared, but they got the job done. She had lost the feeling in both arms and the skin underneath was raw and red. She hung limply, she didn't have the strength to care.  
  
"Ah, so you decided to wake up did you?"  
  
Hermione lifted her head so that she was looking at the person who was talking to her. "Yes, it was so nice of you to have me. Do you think I can go now?"  
  
The man behind the mask laughed. "Not just yet. You see, someone wants to meet you." He bowed to someone behind him which made Hermione roll her eyes. "The Dark Lord will see you now."  
  
"Oh goody for me. I'm sure death will come quickly." Then she looked upon his humourless smile and ugly face and finished lamely "or not."  
  
Voldemort sneered at her. "I'm sure you're wondering why someone as great as I would need you, a filthy mudblood. I'm also sure that you're wondering why you're still alive. Am I right?"  
  
Hermione just smiled an equally humourless smile. "Well actually, I was just wondering why a filthy half-mudblood, like you, would want to hurt his own kind. I am right in guessing that you had a muggle father? It must just kill you everyday, huh? These followers of yours" she turned her head, indicating the circling death eaters "despise you. I guess you never got what you wanted. You were never loved. They are not your family. They hate dirty blood and I hate to break it to you kiddo, but that's what you got. Just like me."  
  
Voldemort stood there. Her words had the effect she had intended them to. She knew that it wasn't good for her, being in the position she was in, but she just couldn't care less. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at her "Crucio".  
  
It was everything Harry had said it was. It killed like hell and her body screamed in agony but she did not cry out. She was stronger than that. It was over in 2 seconds. Voldemort had only meant it as a warning.  
  
"Now you will listen to me!" he snarled "I have no intention in keeping you alive. I do not care about your damn Gryffindor bravery. I need information and I intend to get it."  
  
He started pacing around, head bowed, silhouetted by the unusually large moon. He stopped and turned to her. "I want to know why I can not kill Harry Potter. I took his mother's protection but still, all it allows me to do is touch him. What is the point in touching him if I can not kill him? It's something more than luck. Tell me and I'll make sure your death is quick and painless."  
  
Hermione laughed like a maniac. "Ever think it might be because he has love and you don't? You fucking, murdering psychopath! Why do you want to kill him anyway? What sort of a threat is he to you?! Are you that insecure about yourself that you fear a 17 year old boy could finally do what even Dumbledore could not? Are you afraid of Harry Potter?"  
  
He walked up to her and hit her hard across the face, making the shackles pull against the already damaged skin on her wrists, finally succeeding in making them bleed. Hermione didn't care, she couldn't feel it after all. She would probably be dead before she did anyway.  
  
"Though I hate to admit it vermin, you are the smartest witch in that wretched school and to top it, you are that louses best friend. I know you know what is protecting him. Tell me."  
  
Hermione shook the hair out of her eyes and said "So what? You can kill him? And then eventually have the run of the world? Not even Harry knows why you can't kill him. If you're so clever, you work it out."  
  
Hermione was hit again by the Cruciatus curse, only this time it was longer and more painful than she remembered it. She could hear the death eaters' laughter over the roaring in her ears. Her wrists and ankles burnt. It was a pure white-hot pain but still, she did not scream or cry out. She shook uncontrollably.  
  
When Voldemort finally lifted his wand, Hermione hung limp, her wrists bleeding freely, that was how she was going to die she realised. These shackles had slit her wrists and it was going to be slow and painful.  
  
"Your Gryffindor pride will not even let you cry out when you are beyond pain? You can feel it mudblood. Don't be afraid that someone will hear you. That's why I chose this special place. No one knows about it and it's very secluded. Even your precious Harry cried out when he was hit by the curse. Yet you do not deny the knowledge of what protects him."  
  
There was no strength left in Hermione at all so even though she spoke to her feet, it was evident that she was talking to him. "Well think about this, you shit! Even though you hurt Harry, took his parents and his life. He still has people who love him, like you never will. He never, not once, cried because of you did to him. He has never moaned about how bad his life is. For someone as young as him, to have gone through as much as he has and still carry on each day, that is where the true power lies. Not in death and pain and torture. You will rot, as the ugly, slimy scum that you are. And yes, I do know what protects him and I will take it to my grave."  
  
Voldemort growled. She wasn't giving him anything. She was going to sacrifice her life for her friend and he still did not understand what love meant. What Hermione was showing for her best friend and the world was as pure as it got, her life meant nothing, if others could live. What Dumbledore had said was true. Voldemort, having never experienced the love of a mother or a true family, could not cause anything but pain for everyone else. Then again, as far as Harry, he never grew up knowing the love of a family or parents and he had still turned out remarkably.  
  
"Just shows" Hermione whispered into the night, to no one in particular. "A truly powerful person does not need to kill people to feel good about themselves."  
  
Voldemort finally smiled a truly terrible smile as he said the last words. "You were right Hermione Granger, this is how you will die. Hanging there while your body pumps the blood from inside of you, very slowly."  
  
Voldemort gave instructions to the death eaters "Watch her die and picture Harry Potter's face. For he will die one of these days. It will be by my hands and we will all rejoice as the world becomes ours." Then he dis- apperated.  
  
The death eaters closed ranks, Hermione looked at their hungry faces and in her mind she thought 'I hope you live Harry. I died for you.' She smiled grimly.  
  
She did not like the looks on the death eaters' faces. It did not look like they were just going to watch her die. The thought sickened her. She closed her eyes but opened them when she heard one of them speak.  
  
"I believe that there's more blood inside of you than out."  
  
Hermione struggled to lift her heavy head. "Don't be so sure Cornelius. You aren't as smart as people think you are huh? Older isn't always wiser."  
  
She didn't have to see his shocked, masked face. "Yes, I do know who you are. I always wondered why you didn't want to believe that that prick had returned. When he was powerful sixteen years ago, you weren't Minister for Magic but now you are, people will see you for your true colours and not even a mask can hide that. You'll get what's coming to you, don't you worry."  
  
Fudge advanced on her but before he got very far 'STUPEFY' he was on the ground. It wasn't only him that was on the ground, every single death eater was unconscious. Hermione didn't look to see who it was as she finally gave in and fainted. Blacking out for the second time in one day.  
  
* * * * *  
  
That's the end of the chapter. Well that was tiring. Hope you like it.  
  
Review please.ogwarts 


	8. Resume the Fight

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or the rest of J K Rowling's characters.

Chapter 8; Resume the Fight

In the clearing stood Harry, Ron, Terry Chang, Jason Bones, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas and Draco Malfoy who lead the group along with Harry. Every boy had his wand drawn. Harry and Ron rushed over to Hermione and untied her from her bindings. Ron was repulsed by the blood but ignored it; they had to get her to the ground.

Hermione's skin stuck where her blood touched the cold metal of the bindings. She hadn't come around yet, which wasn't surprising, considering how much blood she had lost and she had been hanging suspended.

There was worry written all over Harry and Ron's faces. "Do you think we hit her with the spells Harry?"

Harry frowned. "No, I think she's passed out. Where's her wand?"

Terry walked over and knelt down to check on Hermione, the rest of them soon came over. "They're all unconscious. Julie said that Hermione left her wand on top of her schoolwork, in her room."

"She should have taken it with her!" Ron was angry but he didn't know who to be angry at. He couldn't be angry at Hermione, she had nearly been killed and even if he did shout at her now, she wouldn't hear him. Everyone else had just helped save her.

Malfoy spoke and it shocked everyone. He was distracted and kept looking around. "Hurry up, let's get her out of here before more Death Eaters arrive or even Voldemort."

At these words, a spark of fear lit everyone's eyes except for Harry and Draco's. They couldn't be scared of him; he had put them through too much pain to scare them. They just hated him beyond belief.

Harry nodded. Ron stood up but he stopped midway. "How do we get her back? She's unconscious and she really needs medical help. Has anyone ever tried to apperate someone other than themselves?"

All of them were now off age and could apperate whenever they wanted to. Although they couldn't apperate to Hogwarts, they could still apperate to Hogsmead and then call for help.

Every boy just stared; they had never faced this dilemma before. What could they do? They and Hermione were running out of time. Her breathing was getting shallower and the bleeding wasn't stopping. 

Draco knelt down beside Hermione, got out a handkerchief and tore it in half. He wrapped each bit around her wrists and said. "Look we, have to try and fast. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these aren't the only Death Eaters around, more will come and I assure you, we do not want to be around here when they do. I also do not know how long a stunning spell lasts."

Harry nodded. He hated to have to agree with Malfoy, but he had just showed then where to find Hermione and helped save her. He looked at Ron and said "Grab her hand; we'll try apperating with her. We do have to at least try."

Ron complied and took hold of her hand while Harry took hold of the other. They got their wands ready and tried to apperate. It didn't work. Everyone (except Malfoy) started to panic. They couldn't just leave her here, they had come all this way and there wasn't a chance in hell that they would walk away. 

"I have an idea" Draco began "On the count of three, you apperate yourselves and I'll use the spell to apperate her alone. Hopefully it'll work. If I don't actually go myself."

Harry frowned, "But don't you have to be thinking of the place you want to apperate?"

Draco was growing inpatient and that is never a good sign. "Well you two, think hard enough for the three of you and just pray to god that it works because the Death Eaters have just arrived!"

He wasn't wrong, popping noises sounded from everywhere. 

Harry, Ron and Draco nodded once, mouthed one…two…three and apperated. It worked Harry, Ron and Hermione apperated to Hogsmead and went into the only place that was open, The Three Broomsticks. Thankfully, it was empty and only Madam Rosmerta was there, polishing that tankards. When she saw them, she gasped, set the tankard on the bar and hurried over to them.

"What happened? Dear god."

Harry spoke hurriedly "We need you to get her help. Call Professor Dumbledore please Madam Rosmerta. We have to get back, no time to explain."

They quickly left the way they had come and apperated to the clearing. "Please don't let anyone be dead" Ron chanted. Harry felt like hitting him, it was really annoying.

*               *               *               *               *

Malfoy, Dean and Jason, being the strongest, were trying to hold the Death Eaters back. Seamus and Terry were doing their fair share, but if they had been alone, they would have had a lot of trouble. They were doing pretty well but the number of Death Eaters they were now facing were a lot more than the one's they had stunned to get to Hermione.

Just then, Harry and Ron apperated into the clearing.

"You came back?" Dean gasped. "Why?"

"Well of course we did. We wouldn't leave you out here."

Having Harry and Ron there added to the strength. Ron was Keeper and very strong. They hurled curses every which way. Harry shouted over his shoulder.

"Seamus, Terry, apperate! Now!"

Seamus shook his head; he had no intention of leaving them here. "We're staying here, you might need us."

"Or you could just get out now!" Malfoy shouted while throwing a stunning spell at three Death Eaters and ducking one sent his way. "The more people that get out of here, the better. NOW GO!"

They left, but reluctantly. Ron guessed that you never really knew the power a Malfoy had until you got him angry. And Malfoy was definitely angry.

Just with the help of Harry and Ron, they had managed to stun and seriously harm quite a few Death Eaters. Ron wondered how much trouble Malfoy would be in when his father found out that he was fighting the dark side with his enemies. There is no possible way that he was going to be pleased. He actually felt sorry for Malfoy. He never thought he'd see that day.

Ron called over his shoulder "Go Dean, and you Jason."

They nodded, not wanting to be shouted at too and left with a pop. Now the only ones left were Harry, Ron and Malfoy, facing eight very angry Death Eaters. Harry, Ron and Malfoy held out their wands and moved closer together with the Death Eaters advancing on them. Harry mumbled "Let's see how clever Death Eaters really are."

All three of them were very tall, practically the same height as the tallest Death Eater so size wasn't an issue. Unlike the Death Eaters, they were not afraid.

Malfoy whispered to Ron and Harry, "Do the mirror charm" as he saw the spells come blasting out of their wands. They didn't say a thing but did the charm. It worked. The spell backfired and headed straight back to the wizards which had throw them, knocking all of them out and giving the three of them enough time to get back to Hogsmead.

*               *               *               *               *

Harry, Ron and Malfoy entered the Three Broomsticks to find it heaving with people. Hermione lay on a bed in the middle of the pub. Madame Rosmerta was sitting at a table, as were the other four boys. Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were standing over Hermione. At the sound of them entering the pub, everyone turned to look at them.

They were dishevelled and tired.

"Why haven't you taken her back up to the school and into the hospital?" Ron asked.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "It is too risky to take her up to the hospital wing right now. It is too risky to move her at all. I'll need to get some blood back into her system before I can do that or she won't be able to hold out."

"How did you find her?" Professor McGonagall asked shakily.

"That can wait Minerva. I believe that they also need to go to the hospital wing. You have some nasty cuts I can see." Dumbledore said.

Ron shrugged "They're nothing life threatening. I'm more worried about Hermione. Will she be okay?"

Madam Pomfrey looked affronted "Of course she'll be okay. She'll be better than ok. I am the best medical practitioner to ever grace this Earth remember?" She looked completely serious. Ron, Dumbledore and they boys sitting at the table behind her had to hide a laugh.

Harry saw for the first time, that Hermione was having blood pumped back into her body by an unusual looking machine. He could even begin to describe it. The blood was being returned to her body by a needle that went into her upper arm but while it was being returned, it was also mending her wounds.

Albus Dumbledore looked at Harry's face and read it perfectly. "Harry, even if the blood is being put back into her body and the wounds healing, her body still needs time to adjust to the trauma it has been through. She might not wake up for quite a few hours. It could take 2 days at the most." He looked around at all of them. "But there is nothing to be worried about. She will be perfectly fine."

Malfoy was sure that she would be fine physically, but what about mentally. There was no doubt in his mind that she had been tortured, just as he had. Not by his father. His father didn't care about him but he had never hurt his son. Malfoy had been tortured by the initiation which wanted to turn him into a Death Eater. He refused point blank. He didn't even have the scars to prove it, they made sure of that.

Lucius would leave his son at the hideout and the high ranking (though lower than Lucius) would do the harm to him. They were allowed. Lucius would rather stand back and sneer.

"Right," Madam Pomfrey called. "I think it is safe enough to take her back into school now."

Dumbledore stood up, placed a hand in the bed and said a simple incantation, they both disappeared. Ron scowled like the devil. "That would have been so much easier. We have to get him to teach us that."

"You learn that next term Mr Weasley" McGonagall told him offhandedly which made Ron scowl even more.

Everyone turned to thank Madam Rosmerta who happily gave the boys free bottles of Butterbeer to drink on their way back to the castle. They thanked her again and left, taking the long way back to that castle. They didn't dare as if they could apperate there. McGonagall's moods changed as often as the direction the wind blew.

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione opened her eyes and screamed. She was blind!

She heard someone rushing to her side and flicking the light at her bedside on; suddenly she could see and felt extremely foolish for screaming so loud. She blinked and a few thoughts struck her, this wasn't her bedroom, that wasn't her light and this place felt extremely familiar. Then realisation dawned. This place felt so familiar because she had been here god-knows-how-many-times in the past seven years. The hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey stood at her side grinning wickedly. "I told them that you'd be right as rain. How are you feeling dear?"

"Fine, can I go to my dormitory now?" She wanted to sleep in her own bed.

Madam Pomfrey just laughed "Certainly no dear. You must wait until it is morning. I told them that I was a brilliant nurse."

Hermione was puzzled, had the matron gone mad? "What am I doing here?"

"Oh you were rescued a few days ago by the boys and we bought you here. I'm brilliant I tell you."

Hermione was beginning to get scared of Madam Pomfrey. She looked the same. But then the memory of what had happened invaded the terrified girl's fears that she was in a badly comedic nightmare. 

She remembered the kidnap and the torture and the pain. She cursed so loudly and so vehemently that she was sure the nurse would go straight to Dumbledore and insist the Hermione be expelled but Madam Pomfrey did nothing, just carried in smiling. Hermione rolled her eyes. Looking at her wrists, she saw no cuts and no scars. She looked up again puzzled.

"Oh don't worry dear, I mended the cuts, isn't it perfect?"

"Brilliant, can I leave now, for my own sanity?"

Madam Pomfrey shook it off. "Just get some rest now and I will check on you in the morning. I'm sure that you'll be fine for the night. How's your head?"

"Fine, I don't feel any pain." The fact that she didn't, shocked her.

"Good, well sleep than and I will inform Mr's Potter, Malfoy, Weasley, Chang, Thomas, Finnegan and Bones that you have come around. I am sure that Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall would like to know too. And possibly Madam Rosmerta.

Hermione's head was spinning. Did she just say Mr Malfoy? And Professor Snape? And Madam Rosmerta?! She just decided that Madam Pomfrey must be off her rocker. Smiling sweetly, she laid he head gently on her pillow and prayed for sleep to come extremely quickly.

*               *               *               *               *

It's finished. Sorry about the delay but I had exams. This was a bad time for me to start writing a story. I will carry on though.

Review please and please no flames. :)

Dina

P.S. Thank you for all the reviews that I have had so far. I love them all.


	9. Part of the TruthTruce

Disclaimer: Guess what! I don't own the characters you recognise.

Chapter 9; Part of the Truth/Truce.

"Right then Miss Granger, you may leave. Everyone has been informed of your recovery and I'm sure you'd like to get back into the thick of things."  Madam Pomfrey said, giving Hermione her last medication before she was allowed to leave.

Thankfully, madam Pomfrey's unusual mood yesterday had seemed to have dissipated and she was back to her normal self. Hermione was still glad to be leaving.

She took her medicine and started to change. She was wondering why her friends hadn't come to see her. How had she survived? She still had no answers. Heading out of the hospital, her main objective was to find her friends and get some answers. It felt like things were a lot more complicated than just turning up and rescuing her.

*               *               *               *               *

Harry and Ron were sitting in the Great Hall. They hadn't spoken to Malfoy since he had helped to save Hermione. Ginny was with them. They couldn't bring themselves to go to Hermione after they had found out that she had come around last night. They wouldn't know what to say to her. The time to start worrying though seemed to come to a head as Hermione walked into the Great Hall, all heads turning her way.

Both boys did not look over at the Slytherin table to see Malfoy's expression.

She walked over to her friends and whispered. "Outside now, the pair of you! I have questions and they need answering" 

Harry and Ron exchanged tiny glances but complied. They stood up and headed out of the hall, following Hermione.

*               *               *               *               *

All three of them were now sitting outside on the grass. Hermione didn't look angry, brassed off or annoyed. She was mostly confused. 

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Ron shrugged. "We saved you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I got that part. What with me still being here and all. I just want to know how you did it. Voldemort said that no one knew where that place was and so I do not believe that you just happened to stumble upon it while you were out for a nightly walk."

Harry laughed. "Cool it Hermione. Yes we did have help."

"In the form of Draco Malfoy." Ron added.

"Malfoy?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. So that meant the Madam Pomfrey was not bonkers when she said that Malfoy would want to know how she was. "What about Snape?"

"He was there. The teachers came to bring you back to the castle and Snape was there."

"Oh." Hermione was in a muddle. She didn't know why either of them would care about what happened to her. They were Slytherin's and generally didn't care what happened to any Gryffindor. Or so she had thought. "What did Malfoy get out of it? He must have asked for something right? Something in return."

Harry shook his head. "Nothing. He stayed back and fought the Death Eaters off when we went to take you to safety."

"See, head spinning." Hermione said, putting her head in her hands. "How many people came for me?"

Ron started to count them off on his fingers. "There was Harry and I. Seamus, Dean, Terry, Jason and Malfoy."

"I still don't understand how all of you got out of there alive. You did all get out of there alive?!"

"Yes," said Ron, "We all got out of there alive."

"But how?"

Harry thought hard about that. "Wicked good luck and a lot of power I'm guessing."

Hermione cringed. Her friends could have been killed and it was all because of her. "Never do that again!!"

Ron wasn't going to take that. Looking her in the eyes, he said with a lot of force. "Never fly out of bounds again! We didn't even know that you flew."

"I didn't want you to know and now that I have most of the information, I want to go and sleep. Okay? Bye." Hermione stood up and left. Harry and Ron didn't try to stop her.

*               *               *               *               *

_How am I going to thank Malfoy?! _Hermione wandered the second floor corridor where they entrance to her common room was located, with the same thought racing through her head. _What would she say? She didn't have to wait long. The entrance opened and she dreaded to see the person she was sure that she would meet. She didn't meet him. It was Terry Chang._

"Hi Terry." Hermione said, terribly relieved. 

"Oh good, you're well again Hermione. Come inside." Off her scared look, he added "Don't worry, Malfoy's out so you can put off talking to him until you are ready to."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Or until he walks through the door, catching me completely of guard and I end up fainting. Then I'll have to be taken back to the hospital and the crazy nurse won't ever let me leave, making me insane and eventually having to be shipped off to Saint Mungo's."

Terry smiled kindly. "Well at least you've given it some thought. So do you want to come in and face him with all of us, or wait outside and face him alone."

Hermione took a beat and said "You're right. I'll come inside. I did fight with him not so long ago after all and I don't care to repeat the performance. Especially after he saved my life. It would just seem bitchy, right?"

"I agree, it also seems that you a more nervous than usual."

"Well I can't remember the last time someone saved my life. Had it not been for Malfoy, I'd be dead now. Oh and by the way, thank you for saving me too. It was very kind." They entered into the common room.

"Yes well…" He said lightly "What use is a Head Girl if she's dead?"

Hermione nodded knowingly. "You know, that's always been my motto."

Hermione didn't get to say much more as a huge weight was shoved right into her midsection at that very moment. Hermione grunted and backed off, not that is helped. The thing that had been thrown into her seemed to be stuck to her. 

Hermione looked down to find Ginny, hugging her quite tightly. "Hi Gin, enjoying yourself are you? Think you could let me breath now huh?" she smiled at the redhead.

Ginny let go of her friend and resumed her place at the sofa. "I was just so worried and then that stupid turtle of a big brother of mine said that I could come and help rescue you and that made me feel even worse and how come you are out so early?"

Ginny barely took a breath in her rant. 

Now it was Hermione's turn. "I got better quickly and I am glad that you didn't come. In my opinion, they were barely holding their own up there and it was very foolish of them to do it. Have they been punished by Dumbledore yet? I sure hope they have. God, I think what could have happened to them."

Ginny shrugged and lay down on the sofa, making it impossible for Hermione to sit down on it so she had to do with the floor beside the sofa. "Harry can hold his own. He proves it time and time again. And you have been his best friend ever since he found out the he was a wizard. After the troll incident. Hmmm…well I guess that was wrong. Well you've been his friend for a very long time. Harry and the turtle would not let you just die. Lucky for Malfoy huh?"

Hermione glowered at the fireplace as Ginny was too high up for Hermione to look directly at. "And what do you expect me to say to that holier that thou idiot now, huh?"

"How about thank you?" Malfoy said calmly from across the room.

Hermione put her head in her hand again and groaned. "God, just kill me!"

Ginny sat up. This was better than those soaps her father was always talking about. She had no idea why he would want to talk about something that you wash yourself with but he seemed happy about it and as Virginia Weasley had always said 'To each his own' even if it was totally obvious that he was mad.

Hermione got up slowly. She was kicking herself mentally now and it really hurt…mentally. She always put her foot in it. Why could she never keep her mouth shut?

She got to him and took a deep breath. He raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "You're looking well, considering. Last time I saw you, you were bleeding to death. The miracles of magic huh?"

Hermione let out a breath. "I guess. Look, I just want to say thank you for what you did. I was willing to die out there than put Harry in danger. I didn't want to die but that's not the point. You saved me and you really didn't have to. It's not like I've ever been nice to you or anything. So just wondering, why did you do it?"

Malfoy shrugged. "No one deserves to die or be murdered. If I could prevent that, and this time I could, I would."

"But you compared me to that muggle-hating prick." Hermione wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"You got me angry Granger. I'm not anybody's lapdog." Malfoy said evenly and calmly. He walked over to his emerald green sofa and sat down. He leaned his head back so that he could see her and said. "And you're welcome."

Hermione nodded and joined Ginny on the couch, seeing that she had finally gotten up. Ginny smiled kindly "Do you want to go to sleep Hermione? Lessons aren't back on yet and I think that you could do with it. You have been through a lot."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That was just an excuse so that I could escape the Turtle and Harry. Do I have to go with the turtle analogy? I'm fine. Trust me."

"Fine, but if you collapse, I'm not getting Madam Pomfrey."

"Oh, please don't, she's mad. Not going to go into it. She thinks that she's brilliant or something."

Ginny laughed out loud. "I knew that she's finally crack. Being wound that tight, it was bound to happen. I wonder if it'll happen to McGonagall soon." Ginny said it with too much enthusiasm.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and stood up. "I'm hungry. Do we have any food here?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know."

"Over by that table." Malfoy said.

Ginny wasn't shocked at all. She had gotten used to Malfoy being helpful in these odd occasions. Hermione hadn't as he made a point not to be kind whenever she was around. She was after all, a part of the 'trio'. Although, now it didn't seem so necessary.

"Thank you." Hermione walked over to the food and took as much as she could. She wasn't like the boys so thus, ate her food slowly, making sure that she chewed it before swallowing. Something Ron never did. No wonder he choked so often.

Hermione had returned to the couch with her food, Ginny didn't like the silence so she decided to strike up a conversation. "So, are you ever going to fly again?"

It was obvious that Malfoy could hear everything they were saying, but not in a rude way.

"Oh yeah, sure, maybe in a few centuries. I might actually use the broom to sweep the floor now, unless I'm too scared to touch it."

Ginny put her arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Hermione, Voldemort doesn't scare you, you proved that and that is why you should not let him get the upper hand on something that you clearly love doing."

"Yeah, and people are supposed to learn from mistakes and flying that day was one of them."

"Ok, change of subject. Are you going to do any work related to school?"

"Well, I was gonna do lots and lots of homework, but darn the luck, they went and cancelled lessons." Hermione grinned, normally, people didn't hear her say that she wasn't going to do work.

Ginny nodded. "Ok, but I do have work to do so would you mind if I bailed?"

"No I don't. Work comes first." Then she whispered "I want to talk to Malfoy anyway."

Ginny grinned wickedly again and left.

Hermione sat at the end of the Gryffindor sofa that was closest to Malfoy. This was pretty close due to the fact that the Gryffindor and Slytherin sofas were practically touching. She spoke to him. "I have to know why you helped me. The real reason Malfoy. I believe what you said but that wasn't all of it. How did you know where to come?"

Malfoy leaned back on the chair and turned to look at her again. "My dad told me where they were taking you. Told me how much time I would have left to rescue you."

Hermione was nodding mutely. "Oh…hang on, did you just say rescue me? As in he wanted me rescued?"

Malfoy took a deep breath. "My dad turned from the dark side a little while after Voldemort returned. Voldemort doesn't know it of course. He still thinks that father is 'loyal'."

"But why?"

"I supposed that it was partly to do with some good rubbing off on him during the 13 years that Voldemort was in hiding. Also, the fact that the slimy bastard made my father torture my mother while under the Imperius Curse. It nearly killed her. She's fine now but my dad has to act as if he can't remember doing it. Painful memories and all." This talk seemed to be taking a lot out of Malfoy. What was more shocking was that he was telling all of this to Hermione Granger of all people.

"I'm sorry Malfoy." Hermione really meant it. No one deserved to go through that.

He grimaced. "Call me Draco, Malfoy's my father."

Hermione smiled. She supposed that she could be nice to him now, seeing that she was still here and most of that was due to him. "Ok…Draco. Call me Hermione then."

"Done."

They smiled at each other. At least now they could get along. Hermione guessed that this year wouldn't be so bad.

*               *               *               *               *

Right, that's finished for now.

Please review. No flames thanks.


	10. Confrontations with Pansy

Disclaimer: I own the story, Julie and Jason. That is all.

Chapter 10; Confrontations with Pansy.

Hermione ate the sprout and made a face. She hated sprouts. Eating one had been an accident; she was too engrossed in what Dumbledore was saying to the students in the Great Hall that she wasn't paying attention to what she put in her mouth. She forcefully swallowed and then turned her attention back to the Headmaster.

He was standing as usual, emitting a certain power about him and silencing the Hall with one look. "It is with quite a huge amount of happiness, that I welcome Hermione Granger back into this school." He continued, earning a red face from Hermione. "We are extremely pleased that she was rescued but I doubt that she would want how it came about, announced to the school. She deserves privacy and I want to hear that no one has been badgering her into giving details. I believe that you are feeling better Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded once. This seemed to satisfy him and he proceeded with other news. "As it is nearing Halloween, we have devised a little bit of entertainment which the Prefects and Heads are organising. Not to dash anyone's hopes, but I have been told by them, not to disclose any information as to what they are planning. You will hear about it later or more precisely, on October 31st. Well that is all I have to say apart from lessons being back on. You may go."

The crowd groaned. They were enjoying their time off but Hermione smiled, trying to hide (in vain) just how happy she was.

Ron looked at her and whispered "You're one in a minority Hermione."

She hit him lightly on the arm. "So sue me."

Harry who was sitting on her other side said "Hermione, come back to the Gryffindor common room. Ginny always comes and we miss not talking to you."

"But what about lessons?"

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes. "It's Sunday Hermione. We'd think that you of all people would remember the days of the week."

"Ok fine, but I have to go back to my common room and put my stuff away."

"Stuff?" Ron asked, looking around her "What stuff?"

"This," Hermione showed him her quill, Daily Prophet and sheaf of parchment.

"Why do you have that?" Harry asked, hiding a grin.

"So that I can take notes."

"Of Dumbledore's speech?" Ron asked incredulously.

Hermione started to glow red. "Well yeah. I might miss something."

Harry laughed "What does he have to say that will benefit your education in any way?"

Hermione actually growled at Harry which made Ron stifle a laugh.

She left for her common room and deposited her things on her bed. She opened her door to leave and stopped. Draco was also leaving his room. "Putting your notes away from Dumbledore's speech?" She asked.

He looked confused. "What?"

Hermione giggled, "Never mind. It's an inside joke. Well I should be going anyway."

"Yeah, I'm heading for Quidditch practise anyway."

It was then that Hermione realised that he was in gear and that he looked pretty hot in it too. _'Why do I never realise that they are in Quidditch gear?'_ "Well have fun. Don't work too hard, we'll beat you anyway."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Don't bet on it."

"Draco, we always beat you. Now I may not be into Quidditch, but I know that much."

Draco blinked a few times. He liked the way she said his name and she was telling the truth. He had never beat Gryffindor. "Well I might as well try huh? Give Potter a run for his money at least"

Hermione shook her head "Boys, when _will_ they learn?"

Draco headed out and so did Hermione. She had forgotten that she had a direct route to her old common room via the one that she had now so she headed out of her portrait hole, taking the long way around. It was probably because she didn't use it much.

Hermione was halfway there when she bumped into Pansy Parkinson, figuratively speaking. 

"Oh look." She squeaked "It's Granger."

"I know it is." Hermione said exasperatedly "I've lived with that name for quite a while now though I am surprised you remembered it Parkinson. I doubted whether the thing between your ears could even pass for sawdust. Just goo right?"

Pansy didn't get it. Not that Hermione thought she would.

"How did you escape He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

Hermione mocked puzzlement "huh…oh you mean Voldemort right?"

Pansy flinched and visibly paled.

"Not scared are you Parkinson? Afraid that he'll stalk you at night and take away all your precious stuffed toys?"

Pansy advanced on Hermione who just rolled her eyes. "I'm no afraid of you Parkinson. You're a pathetic excuse of a Slytherin let alone a girl. In case you haven't noticed, I am also taller than you and I am willing to bet, stronger so just back off and leave me alone."

"Oh yeah, well my boyfriend will have something to say about that."

Hermione laughed in her face this time. "And who are you imagining this time? Crabbe? Goyle?"

Pansy smirked evilly "No, Draco Malfoy and I am not imagining it. He really is."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. "I am sure that in your world, he cherishes you with his very life but in this one, the real world, everyone hates you and do you know why? Because you don't try and get along, you make things up and you flirt mercilessly with any guy that comes within your radar. They think you're cheap and easy. Think about that the next time you make up a boyfriend."

Hermione turned and headed the way she was going. She didn't make it far before she heard a voice bellowing a curse at her. Hermione was too quick, she ducked, acutely realising that Pansy had tried to use the Cruciatus curse on her (as if she hadn't had enough of that), and hit Pansy with the stunning curse. Leaving her there, Hermione went up to the Gryffindor tower. _'God!__ Some people just can't handle the truth._

Harry and Ron were sitting by the fire in their usual best chairs and talking. Ron spotted Hermione. "What took you so long?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I had a run in with an insect."

Both boys looked confused. "Oookay."

Hermione grabbed the third chair and sat with them. "So how's life guys?"

"As crappy as it can possibly get." Said Harry "I have some very good news though" Ron gave Hermione a look that clearly said _'Now look what you've done'_

"Yes Harry?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron. 

"Well all my teachers have just told me that all my school grades have improved considerably and that if I want to become an auror, I have every possibility that I will be successful."

Hermione was so pleased with this news. She knew that and auror was all the Harry wanted to be when he was older so that he could avenge all the people that he had loved being killed. She jumped up and hugged him. "That's wonderful Harry, I'm so proud of you."

"So was I." said Ron moodily, "but I didn't hug him. Isn't a simple congratulations enough?"

Hermione hugged Ron too. "And I'm glad that you are almost failing in all of your classes as usual."

Ron beamed. "Thank you." Then he turned to look at Harry "See, I told you someone would be proud of me."

Hermione looked knowingly at Ron "You'll do fine, as long as I'm here."

"And you always will be. We'll always be your best friends Hermione, no matter what."

Something shifted within her, she didn't know what. Ron's words just then were very touching but would he still hold to that if, just say, she turned evil or dated the wrong person. Would they still love her then? "good Ron. You better mean it too."

Ron smiled easily. "Do you know what day it is tomorrow?"

"Well sure. It's Monday."

"And the date Hermione? September 19th…ooooh."

Harry laughed. "How can you forget you own birthday?"

Hermione looked awkward "I just forgot I guess."

Ron was laughing so hard. "I told you that one day she would work herself so hard that it would addle her brains."

"It's not that bad Ronald!" Hermione scowled. "Why did you remind me anyway?"

"Well", said Ron calming down. "I know that Dumbledore's given you the best present by resuming classes, but we were going to throw you a party here. Surprise parties are so old so we just thought we'd tell you about it. Can you make it?"

Hermione was so pleased that they had thought of her. In all the time that she had been at Hogwarts, no one had done anything like this for her on her birthday. "Of course I'll come. Oh this is so nice of you. Is it only Gryffindor's allowed?"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Well it's a secret party and as Head Girl, you know very well that no Ravenclaw's, Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's are allowed to know where the Gryffindor Tower is."

Hermione sighed. "I know that guys. Don't worry, I'll be here. I just have to go and see Madam Pomfrey now, god save me. She said that she wants to check up on me and see that I'm okay and everything. I'm sure it's just in case something goes wrong and my skin rips open and starts bleeding again."

Ron glared at Hermione. "Oi, my food isn't quite digested yet you know? I can remember what it looks like without having a second look at it thank you very much."

Hermione giggled and Harry looked reproachful. "Thank you again guys." She hugged them both. "For everything you've done for me."

Harry smiled warmly at Hermione "You are our best friend."

Hermione nodded once and left to go to the hospital.

She was given the all clear by Madam Pomfrey but Hermione was still a little iffy about her after the way she had acted when Hermione had first come around. A little bit of that Madam Pomfrey showed up every now and again and Hermione couldn't help but ask. "Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes dear?"

"Ha…have you finally cracked?"

Madam Pomfrey's head whipped around. "What do you mean dear?"

"Well you seem a little…odd"

"No Miss Granger, I'm just happy that I could save at least one person that has nearly been killed by that idiot Voldemort. It makes one feel like they are on a 'high' sometimes."

"Oh" Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "I can understand that. Well I'm glad that you feel useful Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said, rolling her sleeve down, "Is there anything else or can I go now."

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "No no, you nay leave now. Bye dear."

Hermione got off the bed, said "Bye" and left the Hospital, closing the door on the way out.

*               *               *               *               *

I know that there wasn't much Draco in this chapter but at least they are being civil in the parts that he does appear J.

Review please and please don't flame. Thank you.


	11. Hermione's Party and Other Plans

Disclaimer: I only own the plot, Julie, Terry and Jason.

I want to take this time to thank all the people that have reviewed my story (some of you have reviewed more than once, that hasn't gone unnoticed, thank you ever so much!) so here goes.

**OneOfaKind92: **I'm not sure if he minds about her flying, or cares or for that matter, remembers. Sorry it took so long for the update.****

**AphelionChick: **Another chapter is here at last.

**Imperfectionist: **Hermione is their best friend and they don't see her as anything more. Fact is, they see her as one of the guys.

**DiOsA4u: **New chapter.

**Katie Weasly: **I wanted to make Julie different even though she is in Slytherin. I remembered at the end of book 4 that some of them stood up and clapped, held their glasses up to Cedric and so on.

**CurlyGurly: **I'm trying to keep it going.

**grlEgrlE****:  I am continuing.**

**catgoddess13: **I know that it was predictable to begin with and believe me, I hated making them Heads as in is very overdone but that was the only way that they could see each other enough for their attitudes to change, concerning the other.****

**Jessie: **I love your review. Thank you.

**Pottyaboutharry: **Believe me, I am a huge fan of all things fluffy too but it actually isn't that far away now. I just didn't want them to get right into it but if I had had to wait as long as my reviewers have, I'd have been really annoyed by it.        **SORRY PEOPLE!!**

**Fergiaj: **Thank you.

**Jessica: **I think I hurried. 

**Casper****: Is it really?! Thank you. Humour doesn't come easily with me.**

**Quiggles: **I have updated! Aint I good.

**Cat: **I have updated Cat!

**Mince99: **Well Draco did save Hermione and my initial plan was to have him save her alone, but I guess that that would have been ludicrous because there was no way that one person was going to make a difference when it concerned all those Death Eaters so I have all of them save her.

**Armmonde: **Did I give what you wanted?

**Navy Converse: **Sorry about the errors.

**Meg: **Harry and Ron did help. Now we continue.

**Lucy: **J

**Merlin: **Thank you Merlin. But I must admit that sometimes I do love to read short stories in which they both get together by the 3rd chapter. That's when I'm in a hurry.

**Hpfanatic: **Thank you.

**Amy O B: **You're one of a few people that always reviews my stories and I think you for that because it encourages me to write some more. J

**Fesh: **It's people like you that make all this writing worthwhile. I appreciate it a lot. Hope you like the next chapter.

**Me: **Done.

**Icea: **Thank you.

**B-chan and Syaorons angel: **How ever can I thank you for what you have reviewed. Being one of the people that has kept me writing this story, even when I thought that it sucked beyond the telling of it. I hope I just did. Although it does throw me a little that Lucius is now in Azkaban. :S

**Ellie: **I am carrying on Ellie.

**eth****: Sorry it took so long.**

**soldiergurl****: Abput a month apparently. I am so sorry that it took so long but I couldn't bring myself to write after my exams finished. I know it's unfair to lay this on people but I just felt that I had failed them and I was upset. Still am actually because I haven't had my results yet.**

**Juliet Broadway: **Thank you so much. 

**Rosellen: **Sorry about the non0quickness of the update.

**Hermione-Malfoy22: **Seeing that you signed the review, it's easy for you to find out when I update because your account will tell you. J

Now on with the story and I promise to thank everyone that reviews in my next update. I just lag behind sometimes.

Chapter 11; Hermione's Party and Other Plans

Gryffindor was preparing for the party they were about to hold for Hermione. She was Head girl and had just recently been rescued from the clutches of the evil he-devil himself so they thought it would be nice for her to celebrate her birthday like this. To be on the safe side, they had asked Dumbledore if it was okay and he had said yes, as long as they didn't make too much noise or party too long past curfew.

At this very moment, the Gryffindor were decorating the common room and Hermione herself was in the Head/Prefects room with Draco, Julie, Terry and Jason. (Ginny was also decorating Gryffindor Tower.)

"Hey, Hermione? What's all this party gossip I've been hearing about? And where's Ginny?" Julie asked from the Slytherin couch that her arse rested upon. 

Hermione was on the floor, by the fire, trying to coax some of the house-elves out so that she could persuade them to leave their ungrateful owners. Not that Dumbledore was ungrateful. The only problem was that the house-elves had learned not to trust anything that Hermione has to say and they hardly ever came out. Especially not when she called them.

Hermione swivelled around to face Julie. "She's in the Gryffindor common room, decorating it for that party you have all been hearing about."

Julie didn't let up. She stood up from that couch and joined Hermione on the floor. 

"Julez, the couch is a lot comfier than the floor. Get back on there."

"Who cares!" Julie said, exasperatedly. "Why are they throwing a party? Did they win the House cup and nobody decided to tell us? Or did they win the Quidditch cup a_gain._"

"Nope and oi! That's my House so stop talking about it like that. They are doing it for me."

"Ah…why?" Julie said confused.

Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed. "Because it's my birthday today silly."

Julie's eyes widened. It was Hermione's birthday and not only had she not gotten her anything, she didn't even know that it was. Julie searched for something to say but was saved the trouble when Hermione's voice interrupted her jumbled thoughts. "It's okay Julie. You didn't know that it was my birthday and it's not like I got many presents for my other 6 birthdays that I have had during my stay here."

Julie shook he head at Hermione. "A birthday is there to be celebrated. I can't just _not_ get you anything. It'll be a bit late. Is that okay?"

Hermione started to speak up, insisting that she didn't want anything but Julie silenced her with a look which got her thinking that Julie would make a good Professor McGonagall when she gets older.

"Okay then, just promise me that it won't be too expensive ok!"

Julie nodded. "Hey, you're having the party in the Gryffindor common room, which means that we aren't allowed." She indicated herself, Draco, Terry and Jason.

Hermione looked sheepish. "It wasn't my idea, honestly. They sprang it upon me and it's not like I could refuse right? They did all that for me. I'm not ungrateful."

"Chill Hermione." Jason said. "We just feel that it would be nice if we did something for you. How about a little game."

Hermione thought. "As long as it's not Truth or Dare, I'm up for it."

"Hey" Draco suddenly said, "Doesn't that mean that Ginny gets to enjoy both? Not only is she a Gryffindor, but she's a Prefect also."

"No one said that it was fair." Julie said, giving Draco one of them looks. "So what do we play?"

"Spin the bottle?" Terry asked "That's different from Truth or Dare."

"And the difference is?" Hermione asked.

"She's right" Julie said. It's practically the same.

"How about a game of Quidditch? There's six of us. Three on each side and let the best gender win, boys against girls!"

Julie rolled her eyes "Typical Draco. Always about Quidditch. It just so happens that I agree with you so Quidditch it is…if Hermione agrees with it." Julie was a little uncomfortable with asking Hermione to go back onto a broom after what had happened to her the last time she was on one.

Hermione didn't see what all the fuss was about. The near death was her fault and it wasn't like they were going to go out of bound playing Quidditch on the actual pitch. "Stop looking so shifty Julez. I'm fine with it. It'll be a great way to get me back into the swing of things. I'd love to."

Everyone relaxed into a smile except for Draco as it hadn't seemed to affect him at all. Typical.

At that precise moment, Dobby appeared out of the door that opened into the Gryffindor common room. Hermione saw him and smiled "Hi Dobby. How's freedom treating you?"

Dobby looked confused. "Is freedom supposed to treat Dobby Miss? How is this supposed to be Miss? Freedom leaves Dobby alone. Miss, you is wanted in Gryffindor now."

Hermione obliged while her roommates rolled about laughing at Dobby's misinterpretation. They heard him say to Hermione, as they entered the Gryffindor common room "Who is freedom Miss?" while Hermione heaved a sigh of exasperation.

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione entered the common room and gasped. Everything in there was so bright and sparkly. Not that Gryffindor wasn't always bright, what with the red and gold but it was just so beautiful. Shimmering streamers hang down form the ceiling randomly, the windows were stain glassed with 'Happy Birthday Hermione' engraved on them. Soft music was playing from somewhere, she could tell that it was a muggle song as the Weird Sisters were a lot louder than this. Even through all the decorations, the Gryffindor colours were still prominent but the thing that made Hermione blush, was a _huge_ picture of her hanging in midair in the middle of the newly expanded room. It was about four times bigger than the actual Hermione and as everything did in the wizarding world, it was moving.

Food was laid out along a very long table at the far end of the room and to Hermione's great surprise, around 30 house-elves were there too. Dobby stepped forward "We is here to help celebrate your birthday Miss but we is promised by Harry Potter that you will not introduce us to freedom." The other house-elves shied away at this word but resumed their position a few seconds later.

Hermione smiled kindly. "That is very nice of you and I promise not to introduce you to freedom at all tonight as I want to keep it special for everyone." The house-elves beamed.

Hermione allowed herself to look at her fellow Gryffindor's finally, and laughed out loud. They each had a t-shirt on that said either 'Happy Birthday Hermione' or sported the picture of her, exactly the same as the one hanging in midair, only many times smaller. The Gryffindor's laughed, sang Happy birthday to her and then removed their t-shirts to show normal clothes (not robes) of mostly jeans, trousers, _normal_ t-shirts and shirts or in the girls cases, dresses or the tomboy look.

Hermione was thrilled beyond explanation. The music was turned up and everyone started to enjoy themselves. Ron even had to wrestle a bottle of Butterbeer from one of the house-elves who was adamant in having more 'fun' than any house-elf should ever be allowed. Ron successfully managed to get the bottle away but didn't see that he snatched another one and hid it under his hat when Ron's back was turned.

On the whole, the house-elves were happy and everyone could not remember when they had last had so much fun. Harry hadn't smiled so much since before Voldemort had returned, the death of his godfather had been hard on him too. Hermione knew, even though Harry never said it, that there were more than just a few times when Harry had completely given up hope on ever being happy. She didn't want anything to remind him of that right now.

Hermione opened her presents at 9pm. She had gotten loads of little things from the Gryffindor's. Harry gave her an advanced copy of Defence Against the Dark Arts which she had not been able to buy for herself because it was too expensive. She had thanked him endlessly for it. Ron had given her a wand case which automatically shrunk it wand and allowed you to store it into a jeans pocket or anything else(so as never to forget it again). And Ginny had given her a lovely charm bracelet which had charms that actually moved, including a book that opened and closed and a quill that wrote in never ending gold ink, wherever it was placed.

They partied until 12:30am when Hermione's Head duties kicked in and ordered everyone to bed. The food had been devoured but amazingly, not a single decoration had been harmed. The huge picture of her was now sleeping. Hermione grinned, grabbed Ginny by the arm and dragged her back into their common room with a last warning of bed to the rest of the room at large. They were too tired to argue. Ginny didn't even put up a fight.

They went their separate ways when it came to going up to their rooms. Hermione entered her room and went straight to the bath. She brushed her teeth, had a quick shower and changed into her PJ's. She walked to her bed and stopped. There was a box on her pillow. She reached out for it and opened it. Inside, glinting in the torch light, was the most beautiful ring Hermione had every seen. It was a snake, coiled once with red ruby gems (for Gryffindor obviously) for eyes. The ring came full circle when the tail met the head. It glinted as if it had its own light. The ring was delicate yet solid silver. Hermione noted that Draco had exactly the same ring, only he gems were emerald green. She couldn't get over the awe at how perfect it was. She took the ring out, set the box aside slipped it onto her middle finger on her left hand (it shrank to fit her finger), and went to bed. Smiling but completely happy over the days turnout.

*               *               *               *               *

When Hermione woke up the next day, she looked at her finger to see if the ring was there or whether she had dreamt it all. It was there, glinting away. It took her 20 minutes to get ready and head down to the common room which was mercifully empty. As always, she was the first person up. It was annoying sometime, being the only one up so she got out her book, lay bock on the couch and read 'Pride and Prejudice', her favourite book. There was still and hour before lessons began.

Twenty minutes later Hermione was still reading when she heard someone coming down the same stairs she had come down which meant that it could only be one person. Draco walked over to his own couch and sat down. Hermione smiled, putting her book away and sitting up straight so that she could look at him.

"Thank you for the ring Draco, it's lovely."

He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "What ring?" he looked at it on her finger and smiled slightly "What makes you think I gave it to you?"

Hermione, in turn, raised an eyebrow "The snake and the fact the you have exactly the same ring, only with emeralds."

Draco reached over and took her left hand. "It looks good on you. Do you like it?"

Word of advise Draco, I never wear something that I don't like. She smiled warmly at him. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Pity they don't make it in gold huh?" Draco said thoughtfully.

"Nah!" Hermione made a face "I don't like gold jewellery, only white gold. I like it in my decorations though."

"Which is good, considering the fact that you have to live with it for the rest of you life now."

Hermione's eyes widened "Even after I leave school?!"

"You'll always be a Gryffindor Hermione. It doesn't matter if you leave, it's in you."

Hermione breathed deeply "I know, and I'm very grateful for it. I love my house."

"But?" Draco implored.

"But? There's no but. It's better to be in Gryffindor than Slytherin, wouldn't you agree?"

Draco's eyes narrowed but only in mock anger. "You're preaching to the wrong choir here. Slytherin , remember?" He said, indicating himself."

Hermione laughed. "Of course I do. And thank you again. I never would have believed that you would ever give me a birthday present."

Draco faked a look of hurt "Hey, I'm not heartless!"

"Could have fooled me!" Hermione laughed hard.

"You're going to wake the rest of the school up if you don't stop that!"

Hermione laughing subsided. "You know what? It's nice to talk to you without the fear of you biting my head off or trying to curse me into the next oblivion."

"Likewise." He murmured.

It was then that the Prefects decided to make their appearance known and thus, rendered any kind of conversation impossible. Lessons for that day were hectic with the prospect of catching up on everything that they had missed, not that it was hard for the prefects or the Head's to do it as that was practically the reason that they were given their title.

Every now and then, Hermione would look at her ring. _I'm never going to forget who gave me this. She thought. The eyes shone just a little brighter as if it knew what she had just thought. (Which it didn't, obviously.)_

It didn't matter what Ron or Harry said about Potions, it was her favourite lesson, along with Charms, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes and Defence Against the Dark Arts. She loved practically every lesson and was extremely glad that she only had to see the Slytherin's in Potions and Care of Magical Creatures and she had none of those lessons today. The day was too perfect to have it ruined by them. Hermione wasn't sure how Draco would act towards her when he had his friends and minions with him.

*               *               *               *               *

I have finished that chapter and I promise to update a lot quicker this time. Please review and please do not flame. J Thank you. (Hope you like it)

Dina


	12. What Side Does He Choose?

**A/N: **I am so sorry. I haven't updated in like 4 months but I have been lazy. I know I have. Sometimes I don't even know if people like this story so I just stopped writing and just about gave up but reading more Hr/D stories has inspired me to carry on so I hope that people aren't too mad.

**Disclaimer: **Everyone knows that nothing Harry Potter belongs to me. Let's put a twist into this story shall we?!

**Chapter 12; **What Side Does He Choose

Throughout the day, Hermione kept looking at the ring. She was so sure that it shone when there was no light on it and that the eyes kept glinting. It didn't bother her though; this was the magical world after all.

Snape was talking as usual and Hermione avidly believed that most of the time, it was because he just loved to hear himself speak, that and bullying the Gryffindor's. He just loved to snark at them. Hermione had written all that she was going to in this lesson. She was a month ahead of her studies and thus meant that she was entitled to a few minutes of ignoring the idiot talk about potions she had known about since before she had started Hogwarts.

Hermione focused her attention on the grubby floor which she doubted had ever seen the clean side of a mop. Her eyes wandered over to a burn right where Neville Longbottom stood. It was obviously from when he had melted one of his or Seamus' cauldrons. Neville was too accident prone but at least his memory had improved. Although this did not mean that he was any the more brave in Severus Snape's company.

Hermione heard Snape throw a question to Harry in which Harry immediately answered and to Snape's surprise, the answer was correct. Harry really was doing well in class. She saw Draco throw Harry a smirk and frowned.

"Miss Granger." Snape snarled (yes, he is now a feline). "How long does it take to make a Polygenic Potion?"

_Wow, _Hermione thought _He must be going loopy; we already did this in year 5._

She cleared her throat and answered clearly. "One month sir."

Snape gave her a dirty look and turned around to write on the blackboard. "Now you may all be wondering why I am asking you all these questions when they have already been covered. The answer is that your NEWTs do not just involve the potions that you have learnt this year; they involve an intense knowledge of absolutely every potion that has ever been made under this ceiling by you," At this he turned and smirked at Neville who cowered in return. "and some that haven't."

Absolutely everyone in the class sat up straight at this new bout of information, everyone except Hermione that is.

Snape was still talking about resources that would be essential if they intended to pass their Potions NEWT and suddenly, the class understood why they were called Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.

The class ended half an hour later with all the students feeling as if they had taken a test, it was that draining and Hermione was already starting to feel the effects of nausea that plagued her before she ever took a test or exam. Nobody knew this and she was careful to hide it for everyone.

*               *               *               *               *

Someone grabbed Hermione from behind and on reflex, she jumped and squealed. She panicked before all rational thought could overtake. 

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to scare you." Ginny cried, distraught that she could have hurt her friends to wounds that weren't completely healed, no matter how good a show she put on.

Hermione shook her head a little and smiled and her friend. Feeling her heart rate return to normal, she allowed herself to speak. "Don't worry about it Gin. I guess that I'm still a little jumpy. Did you want something?" 

Ginny mock scowled. "Do I need permission to talk to my best friend? Because if I do, I could go and get a little slip with a stamp."

Hermione cringed. "I'm sorry Gin, am I being snappish?"

Ginny smiled and shook her head. "I was just messing with you."

The littlest Weasley caught sight of the glint on Hermione's finger and grabbed her hand. "Wow, pretty with just a slight touch of SLYTHERIN don't you think?"

Hermione snatched her hand back and shrugged, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. "Just something that Julie gave me for my birthday."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at her best friend, clearly not believing a word that was uttered from between those lips. "Right, and when you have little Malfoy's running around your feet, I'll tell them that you got their father mixed up with a girl."

Hermione crossed her arms across her chest, a reflex action that she had had since childhood. As if to protect herself. "And you instantly jump to Draco because?"

Ginny was grinning mischeviously, leaning against the brick wall while copying Hermione's actions. "Because I already know that Julie got you a gorgeous set of dress robes, girls got great taste, and that _Draco" She knowingly stretched the name "is probably the only Slytherin that would give that to you. A Gryffindor would never give you a snake. Oh, and I have also seen him wearing a similar ring. Aren't I clever?"_

Hermione groaned. "You wouldn't be a prefect otherwise. Do you think I should take it off?"

Ginny took a deep unneeded breath, "The Slytherin's are way too dumb to realize that you are wearing their mascot, the only Slytherin that would have noticed is Draco and he gave it to you so no need to worry there. Us Gryffindor girls don't mind because he's hot (don't tell Harry I said that) and the boys won't mind because you're alive. I've said my piece and now I believe that there is a Sheppard's Pie with my name on it in the Great Hall. Well maybe Ron's name but I can steal it."

Ginny gave a huge grin and departed, waving.

Hermione rather wanted to go back to Gryffindor Tower and grab a couple of winks in her old bed which was still hers if she wanted use of it. She walked down the hallways that she knew so well after 6 years in this school and sighed, she loved this place and only hoped that she would be able to come back and visit it again after she left. She knew the stone walls off by heart and it couldn't trick her anymore. She was one corridor away from her haven when she bumped into the obvious gang of Slytherin's with Draco Malfoy within their midst. She saw that he was there so she could care less what the others had to say and she carried on walking.

She had just walked past their gang when she felt her head yanked back hard. It was so vicious that she bent far back and she was watching the scene upside-down. "You think that you can call me cheap and easy, then stun me and get away with it. Try all of us now! I dare you!" Pansy screeched.

Hermione was having trouble breathing and she could feel the blood pounding in her ears and rushing to her brain. She couldn't take much more of this manhandling that people had in their minds to reek upon her. First Voldemort, then Pansy and now the entire Slytherin house. What was worst was that Draco was part of it and he was obviously doing nothing to prevent it. His face was devoid of all emotion while he stood there and did nothing. 

Hermione elbowed Pansy in the side, causing Pansy to let go in shock and pain. Still the Slytherin's stood around with dumb expressions on their faces. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at all of them, including Malfoy. "You know, Slytherin House shouldn't be named for housing students who are Cunning and Ambitious because all of you are a load of idiots who don't have two brains cells to rub together. And incase any of you are thinking of taking me on, just try it and believe me, they don't call me the cleverest witch at Hogwarts for nothing!"

When none of them made a move to reciprocate, Hermione glowered at them and used the fingers of her right hand to remove the ring Malfoy had given her for her birthday off of her middle right finger while still keeping a firm grip on her wand in the left. When she finally managed to get the ring off, she threw it at Malfoy's feet where it fell with one note of finality. The she turned and stalked off to Gryffindor Tower while promising herself that she would not step foot inside the Head and Prefect room for anything other than meetings and to sleep. She would not socialize with anymore Slytherin's ever again. She had learnt her lesson. _Well at least now my question's answered. When push comes to shove, he'll stick with evil._

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione stormed through the portrait hole, ignoring Harry's inquiring look and headed straight for her old room. She fell onto her bed, spent and upset. It was no use. She was asleep within seconds.

Thought Hermione was asleep for only half an hour, it would have been longer if Ginny hadn't come in and woken her up. It was obvious from the look on her face that she did know what had happened. It actually took Hermione a while to remember because of the fact that her middle right finger felt naked. Ginny was smiling but she had a slight look of worry behind her eyes.

"Harry came and found me, said that you didn't look yourself and that you might need someone to talk to. He would have come himself but after Ron's experience in your 5th year, I think he's learnt his lesson. Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny looked genuinely worried.

Hermione lifted her head defiantly if not a little quickly, fighting away the head rush at lifting her head too fast. "There's nothing to say. I just wanted to sleep here for once and I guess that I didn't see Harry on my way up. He didn't call for me or anything."

Ginny tried a different tact. "He said that you looked upset and if I may say so myself, it shows." She pointedly looked at Hermione's right hand "no ring Hermione. What did he do?"

Hermione answered truthfully. "Nothing." The answer was flat, no feeling or emotion behind it. The walls came up. "Ginny, I'm staying here for a little while. I'll be by to pick my toothbrush and nightie later and if you love me at all, you'll call for me when everyone else is asleep or better yet, you can bring it down and leave it for me on the Gryffindor sofa." Hermione had a look of pure pleading in her eyes which Ginny couldn't refuse. She picked at Hermione's comforter and sighed heavily.

Ginny stood up while still facing Hermione. "Okay. Of course I'll do it and I understand if you don't want to talk about it right now. At least this way I can't tell a lie if I don't know anything right? I'll leave your things for you on the sofa and make sure that everyone's asleep. You probably don't want to go up your own stairs because Malfoy shares the same hallway right?"

Ginny took Hermione's blink for assent.

"Confrontations are bad when wounds are raw. Things get said and done. Your things will be waiting. I really am sorry Hermione. For whatever happened."

Ginny turned to leave but turned back. "If you don't mind me asking, you don't want to got to your room but you will come to the common room. Why?"

Hermione smiled, slightly and sadly, but it was still a smile. "I'm not going to be branded a coward by anyone. This way, I'm only a halfway coward. Just don't let anyone see that you're bringing my things down."

Ginny nodded. "If they don't see it, how will they know that you're not a coward?"

"I'll know, and that's enough for me." Hermione lay back down on her bed and closed her eyes. Ginny took this as a sign to leave and did just that.

*               *               *               *               *

Ginny got to the bottom of the stairs only to be bombarded with questions by her boyfriend and brother. She gave them a pitying look and shook her head slowly. "Guys, some space please."

Harry and Ron backed off, allowing her to join them on the long, red, velvet couch. "So how is she?" Harry asked.

"Asleep." Ginny answered truthfully. Before her brother or boyfriend could ask her the obvious question she said. "Hermione didn't tell me anything and that's the truth. She'll speak in her own time but until then. Just be friends, not German dictators _please_, for me Harry…Ron?"

Both boys frowned but nodded in agreement. Ginny patted both boys on the head and left through the passageway into her quarters. They called after her. "We're not dog's you know!" They heard her laughing as the door closed behind the tapestry.

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione woke up at 11pm to the voices of Parvati and Lavender in their vocal quest for boys of any age and type. She sighed in relief to know that they were not taking about her, but then, she doubted that many people knew what had happened earlier that day. She sat up in bed and looked at the girls, Hermione hadn't bothered to draw the hangings before she had drifted off to never never land.

"Hey Hermione. Harry and Ron are downstairs, playing Chess again." Lavender said.

Hermione nodded. "Don't you want to go down and watch you're boyfriend beat the crap out of Harry's pieces?"

Lavender shook her head. "Nope, seen it too many times. I bet that even I could beat Harry at that game and it gets old very fast.-"

Hermione nodded, knowing exactly what Lavender meant. 

"-and besides, I'm helping Parvati look for a guy. It can be very upsetting when your twin sister has a boyfriend and you don't."

Hermione didn't much feel like talking about boys so she nodded, gave her two cents, "I'm sure you won't have to look far Parvati. Dean and Seamus like you." And saying goodbye; left them to it.

*               *               *               *               *

Harry and Ron were indeed playing chess which should have been renamed 'The Most Boring Game in the History of Games (60+ yrs)' and Harry was indeed losing. It was over pretty quickly, with Hermione prodding and poking Harry's pieces into the wrong direction. "I would have lost anyway" Harry shrugged.

"You did lose mate." Ron advised. 

Harry scowled and turned to his other best friend. "How are you?"

"Dandy and refreshed." She stated simply.

"Want to talk?" Ron asked distractedly.

"Nope." She knew that they wouldn't understand, they would just want to kill every Slytherin within reach, starting with Malfoy. She figured the assurance of Harry's job was safer without this little bit of knowledge. "I'm going to go and collect some of my things from my common room okay? See you in a bit."

"Hold on!" Harry said as Hermione reached the tapestry. "You're not staying there? You're going to leave my girlfriend in the company of _two_ Slytherin's?"

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. Turning she said "Plus one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff. Ginny is friends with Julie of Slytherin and Malfoy is in a totally different hallway to her so keep your wayward hair on. She's just one corridor away."

"One corridor in which any student who isn't a Prefect or Head, can't enter. (Or professor)" Ron added as a afterthought. 

"Exactly!" Hermione said. Leaving a confused Weasley behind. 

When Hermione reached the common room, her toothbrush and nightie were there, just like Ginny had promised and there was also no one downstairs. She made haste to get to her things and grabbed them. Turning quickly, she headed straight for the door but unfortunately, luck was not in her favor. Touching the doorknob, she stopped as she heard her name.

"Hermione?!"

She turned around to face Draco Malfoy.

*               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *

**I am really so sorry that it took so long to post this. I haven't even gotten around to updating my other Hr/D fic yet.**

**Dina**

**Sorry again.**


	13. When It's Time to Forgive

**Disclaimer:** I own the storyline, that is all.

**A/N: **The readers of my Buffy fic are going to be majorly peed off because I have not updated in ages but I think that it's only fair that I update this 1 first right? Even though I didn't get a lot of reviews last time I updated so unfortunately, this is how it goes. If I don't get many reviews for this update, I am just going to stop with this story. I know that this is wrong but I'm net even sure that anyone likes it. So…that's all I can really say, right?

**Chapter 13; When It's Time to Forgive**

Hermione let go of the doorknob that she was still holding behind her back, put her things on the nearest couch and crossed her arms, looking at the pajama clad Draco Malfoy. His hair was a bit mussed and he seemed to have just woken up. She walked up to him slowly and only stopped when they were an inch apart.

"You do know that this is extremely clichéd right?"

When he didn't respond, she carried on. "To what do I owe the _honor _of your presence? I mean, I must have done something right, there's no way you would talk to me otherwise." She spat. 

Hermione's eyes darkened, she bent down, picked up her things and turned back to him. "I think I've changed my mind. I'll stay here. I'm not going to let you chase me out of a common room and bedroom that it as rightfully mine as it is yours. Scratch the bedroom part because that is mine alone."

She was at the foot of the stairs when se finally heard his voice again. "I'm sorry Hermione."

Hermione didn't even bother to turn around again, she said, with her back to him while focusing on a patch of darkened carpet. "There's nothing to be sorry about Malfoy." He flinched at the blatant use of his sir name. "You can't hurt me because you don't matter to me. Understood?" Her heart hurt.

Out of pure venom, and to show that he didn't hurt her, she turned to face him. He looked like he always did, undeniably hot and utterly cruel. He held his clenched fist out, palm up and opened it to show the ring. "Are you sure about that?"

Hermione was the one to flinch this time. Malfoy didn't miss it. Hermione hardened her eyes and said, with pure hatred "Stay away from me Malfoy! I don't want to see you unless it is absolutely necessary EVER!" she span around and left.

Malfoy closed his hand around the ring again and sat on the Gryffindor couch. He didn't know why he did, e just fell onto in and released all of his pent up emotions. He had been a bastard, all the Slytherin's feared him and still, he could not stick up for the one nicest person he had ever truly known. He knew that she wasn't upset that she didn't fight for her, she didn't go for all that damsel in distress malarkey, it was that he didn't show any care at for her, as though she didn't exist in his world.

Malfoy groaned and deciding that he had waited long enough, went to bed. He couldn't even apologise properly, he was truly pathetic and deserved everything he got. Could Draco Malfoy show any real affection after the people he was raised around?

*               *               *               *               *

Ginny, Hermione and Julie were walking along a corridor.

"He did that?! Just ignored you while my whole worthless house ganged up on you?!" Julie asked, shocked and maybe slightly outraged.

Hermione nodded. She figured that she could open up now. "Yep."

Julie was shaking her head. "You should dump that bastard!"

Ginny raised her eyebrow at their friend. "Um…Julez?"

Julie turned to look at Ginny.

"They were never going out."

"Well I know that!" Julie said, rolling here eyes, "I mean that she should dump him."

Hermione shook her head behind Julie's shoulder so that only Ginny could see her. Julie was a lost case but at least she was a friendly lost case.

Julie was still shaking her head. "We Slytherin's are such arseholes."

"Ah, but we still love you." Ginny countered.

Julie frowned at Hermione. "Does Ginny know that I'm straight?" She whispered.

"She's dating Harry." Hermione whispered back.

Julie nodded once, sharply and resumed walking.

"Look Hermione, he'll apologise."

"He already has Gin, I threw it back in his face and told him to stick it. I also told him that I never want to see him again unless it is absolutely necessary."

Ginny's shocked face was laughable but Hermione just wasn't in the mood to find beauty in anything at the moment so she opted for shrugging. "I don't care Gin, he's a Slytherin who is not Julie so I don't care."

Now Ginny was angry. "You do care Hermione!! You care about him which is why it hurts you so much but everyone is allowed to make a mistake because no one is perfect! Except Harry of course." She glowed for a millisecond but returned to her angry state once again. "He's allowed a second chance you know. God knows most of us do."

Hermione stopped as did Ginny, Julie carried on walking as she did not know that anything was wrong. She was in her own little world.

"He's a Slytherin Virginia, which means that if he did it now, he can do it again! And when we talk about chances, I'm sure he has had a truckload full of chances in his short life. He doesn't deserve anything from me."

"You can handle yourself Hermione! He did not betray you because believe me, the way you are going on about this, it's like you caught him in bed with your best friend!"

Hermione made a face. "God I hope not. My best friends are both boys. One of the boys happens to be your boyfriend and the other happens to be your brother."

Ginny laughed at that. "True, true. Look…Hermione, he did help to save your life so I think that you should forgive him."

Hermione thought about this. "Why is it so important to you? He is a Slytherin after all, you should be warning me well away to protect my fragile heart."

"It's not fragile! Why would you be in Gryffindor if it was? The reason I want you to work this out is…I still have a best friend because of him. I didn't have to watch someone I love die so yeah, I'll do this one thing for him." Ginny smiled.

"You Ginny, will be the death of me."

"Awww, you're just saying that."

"It's not a compliment red."

"Will you at least think about it?"

"Okay, but I am only going to forgive him if he deserves it. I'm not sure that he ever will Gin."

Ginny shrugged. "I give up Hermione. Although you did promise and Gryffindor's do not go back on their word. Am am now going to find my perfect boyfriend. Go and find Julez, wherever she has wandered off to. Bye"

Hermione grinned. "Bye." She said softly.

Hermione eventually found Julez who was talking to the giant squid which could obviously not speak any English and Hermione doubted that it could understand it either.

"Julie Baddock, we are going back inside so say bye to your new friend."

Julie complied and they returned to the castle.

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione was sitting in her common room, doing some revising when she felt Draco Malfoy standing behind her. "I withdraw the 'never wanting to see you again' part but I do not appreciate it if you stand there and just stare at me so what do you want with me?"

She heard a heavy sigh and the back of her couch depressed a little. She turned around to see both of his hands pressing down on the back of the couch. Hermione couldn't describe him as anything other than hot! She turned back around and carried on revising.

"May I sit down?"

Hermione snorted. "Free country."

"Yeah, but not free couch. Although I'll take it as a yes."

Hermione didn't do anything so Malfoy sat down. "I'm so sorry Hermione. After you left yesterday, I thought about how I hurt you and how you're the nicest person I had ever met and that I didn't deserve to know you. I have done a lot of things in my time to you and I shouldn't have expected you to forget it all so quickly. If you don't want to be near me, or be my friend, I understand. Just know this, I will never do again, what I did yesterday."

Hermione sighed and closed her book on her quill, using it as a bookmark. She turned to him and said. "I have this friend who strongly believes that you deserve a second chance and seeing that you did save my life, I am going to let it go this time. At least it was fun to threaten Pansy for a second time. If she hasn't got the message now, she never will."

Draco smiled. "I think that I can safely say that she never will. But you won't be alone next time."

Hermione glared at the hunk-of­-hot next to her. "She hurt my neck. I saw you upside down way before I should ever have seen you upside down."

Draco looked confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"That I am way to forgiving and that someday, I am going to regret it."

Draco wrapped her in his arms and said into her hair. "I missed you."

Hermione broke from his grasp and looked up at his molten eyes. "You do know that you are way too mushy for a Slytherin right?"

Draco grinned and yanked a lock of at the back of her head. "Only around you. There's something about you Granger."

Hermione looked suspicious, "Don't you owe me something?"

"You really want it?"

Hermione smiled sweetly and held her left hand out and Draco slipped the ring back onto her middle finger. She hugged Draco and picking he book up, she went to bed only to return shortly afterwards to find Draco still on the couch. "I am holding you to that promise Draco. Just one more slip-up…"

Draco looked up and groaned. "I'm a Slytherin, we are known for our slip-ups." He looked upset at this.

Hermione smiled slightly at this, she knew that of course. "If it's not that bad, I'll let you off. G'night."

Draco nodded and followed her up the flight of stairs.

*               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *

**Well I can't have her staying mad at him can I. If she does, when will the smoochies start? I am getting there honestly. I just like to keep it slow. I was tempted to put a few in this chapter but I refrained. Please PLEASE review and please do not flame. Thank you.**

**Dina**


	14. He's a Slytherin

**Disclaimer:** I am not going to keep putting this up!! I don't own anything you recognize.

**A/N:** Oh mushy! It went all gooey at the end of the last chapter didn't it? I must admit that I don't like writing mushy. I enjoy reading it. We don't want everyone to think I'm soft now do we? Lol. Well here's the next chapter and I'll see if I can do anything to amend Draco's sudden ascent into the clouds.

**Chapter 14; He's a Slytherin**

Hermione lay on her back in the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of the castle entrance. It was one of those unusually hot days that sometimes occur at the end of September. Most likely, just to remind people that this was the last they would see for a long time. She looked up at the cloudy bright sky, the clouds were moving very fast. She was sure that she had never seen them move that fast before. Smiling, she closed her eyes.

The light disappeared from behind her eyelids as a shadow passed and stopped over her, or more precisely, someone. She opened her eyes to stare at red hair that looked even more flaming when framed against the sun and jet black hair. 

"Harry? Ron? Anything the matter?" she asked with a yawn and sat up.

Harry shrugged and sat down next to her while Ron occupied the other side. "Nope, we were just wondering why you would expose yourself like this when there are so many Slytherin's about ready to take out Gryffindor's at a moments notice."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can take care of my self guys. Besides," She pulled the book that she had been using as a pillow, onto her lap. "I know hexes that they haven't even heard of."

"And because you now have a Slytherin bodyguard?!" Ron teased.

"You're one step away mister!" Hermione growled. "I don't need a bodyguard."

Harry took the book out of Hermione's hands. "What book is it? I can't believe that you were sleeping on a book instead of reading it. Anyway, I hear that grass is more comfortable."

Hermione snatched it back and put it into her backpack that was next to her. "It's the same as anything I read. Schoolbooks."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, green eyes aglow. "Do we even need to expect some diversity in you?"

Hermione stood up. "Well excuse me but did I actually ask for my best friends to come around and take the piss out of me?"

"We weren't taking the piss." Ron said.

"Yeah, great but I have to go anyway so if you don't mind…"

Hermione turned and left.

"We have to stop doing that don't you think?" Harry observed.

"We're just not very good at the whole 'girl conversation' thing."

"Here here."

*               *               *               *               *

"Ginny?" Hermione called to the red haired girl with her back to her.

Ginny turned around. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking of what to do for the Hogsmeade weekend. It's on Saturday and I don't know what I want to do."

"Shop?"

Ginny's face lit up. "Do you want to come? Unless of course, you're going with Malfoy."

"Are you suggesting that we are an item?" At Ginny's silence, Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Ginny, you live with us. You know very well that Draco and I are _not_ together."

Ginny smiled. "That doesn't prove anything, you could be dating on the sly."

"You and Draco are dating!?" Shrieked a new voice. Both girls turned to see Julie. Ginny's grin widened and Hermione groaned. "I knew it! Hold on," she said more quietly. "I did already know that."

"No we are not Julie. Stop this, both of you."

"So does that mean that you'll be coming to Hogsmeade with us?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"I don't know." Hermione said, readjusting her bag strap onto her back. "I normally spend those visits with Harry and Ron. And shouldn't you be with us? Harry is your boyfriend after all."

Ginny shook her head. "I told them that they could have some time off without us dragging them down. They want to go to sweet shops and joke shops. We want to go to robes shops and café's. so are you in?"

Hermione nodded. "It's tomorrow right?"

Ginny nodded. 

"Good. We do live together." She told both girls. "Just be up before 7 am. We're allowed to go and return whenever we want so I think it would be best to leave early and return uncommonly late." Hermione said.

*               *               *               *               *

It was quarter past six in the morning and Hermione was sitting in front of the fire. She was always up so early and she didn't know why. The homework was finished and she had revised until she couldn't revise anymore for fear of her brain exploding and it just seemed as if her brain didn't want any rest. Or it could just be a simple subconscious thing like waiting to see if Draco would come down so that she could talk to him.

Hermione lay down on the log Gryffindor couch and thought about her horrible life. She had great friends, a wonderful education, many happy and dangerous times and the ability to break any rules without getting expelled just because she was helping in saving the world from a murderous fiend. Helping in delaying his return to power. Well that was before he had returned and tortured her half to death. All in all, her life really wasn't that bad. She was still alive after all.

"I guess some people need time to reflect when they have nothing better to do huh?" someone asked from behind the couch. 

"You know what, I wonder why people always speak before I can see them. Does everyone have to be so bloody secretive?" She asked without looking over the couch. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to talk to someone without looking them in the eyes?"

Jason laughed and walked around the couch. "Yes they did, but that doesn't mean that I can't surprise people every now and then."

Hermione righted herself and sat on the couch properly. "It takes more than a voice to surprise me Jason. Something like kidnapping and such would about do it."

Jason's smile vanished, he sat on the Gryffindor couch next to her. "I know we're not very good friends. We don't do a lot together and I don't know you very well." He looked away. "But I want you to know that when you were gone, a lot of people were worried about you. Ginny cried a lot but she was forbidden to go and help. Boys have this weird notion that girls just aren't as good as them. I think I even saw a spark of concern in Malfoy's face."

Hermione smiled. "Well it was him that eventually got me out of there wasn't it? Virtually unharmed."

"Well you can see how many people were willing to help. Just look at the amount of people came."

Hermione laughed aloud. "Yeah, and how many of them were girls? We're not completely pathetic you know? Did you know that I didn't even scream when he tortured me? I didn't want to give him that satisfaction. And Women give birth."

Jason laughed. "It didn't take long to round up the gang you know. Does it feel at all weird, talking about it I mean."

Hermione shook her head. "No. It was bleeding scary at the time and I really expected it to leave some really bad emotional scars…but it…hasn't. I wonder if that means that there's something wrong with me."

Jason shook his head. "It just means that he doesn't have the same affect on people that he used to before he was ripped from his body."

"Or that I'm somehow emotionally impaired." Hermione said cheerfully.

"Hey Hermione, you're up early. A bit too early. Hello Jason."

Jason looked up and acknowledged Draco's presence.

"Are we allowed to sit on each other's house couches?" Draco asked, eyes narrowed at Jason.

"Nope." Hermione said happily. "Go and sit yourself down at your Slytherin couch."

Draco, with his eyes still narrowed at Jason, shook his head. "I'm going to get food. Going to Hogsmeade?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm having a right old girls day out. Ginny, Julie and I are touring the town."

"Ah, good for you."

Hermione couldn't stand looking up. "Draco, for God's sake, will you please sit down. Sit here if you have to. 

Are you going into Hogsmeade?"

"Yes, with the Slytherin's."

  
Hermione's smile fell. "Good for you. Look, Ginny and Julez will be down soon and I have to get ready. Bye."

*               *               *               *               *

Hermione and Ginny walked around Madam Malkin's with Julie lagging behind, looking at some clearly 'adult' robes. "Ginny, did we come here to shop?"

Ginny shrugged. "Well window shop with the occasional touching. I like to look at clothes that I can't afford." Ginny had long gotten over the fact that she was poor. She still had all the emotional stability that she needed. 

Hermione smiled. "I'm not exactly Joe Millionaire either. Although, I can buy coffee. I don't like coffee though so how about some butterbeer?"

"Later. Hey Hermione. Look at this." Ginny held out a deep red satin robe with gold trim, a v shaped neckline with silver beads running an inch from the neckline down. Sequins dotted around the robe and made it sparkle as it shimmered. Hermione loved it instantly.

"It's so…Gryffindor, and way out of my league. I could never afford something like that." Hermione said sadly.

Ginny took hold of the tag, looked down at it and gasped. "Damn straight. It's 200 Galleons." She hung it back onto the rack carefully. "Definitely not for us."

"Harry can afford it." Hermione said, looking pointedly at her friend.

"I would never ask Harry for something so expensive. I don't want his money, just his body." Ginny said, mock scandalized.

They laughed together and exited the shop, Julie at their heels. Hermione turned to face her. "Would you stop acting like a faithful puppy dog and more like a friend? Do you want to go to The Three Broomsticks? We are getting some butterbeer."

Julie fell into step beside them and nodded. "I'm sorry. It's like I don't want to be seen with Gryffindor's it's just that, when I shop, it's takes a very long time."

"Yeah, besides, you're seen with us all the time at school." Hermione smiled and entered the pub, intent on leading the girls to a table near the front of the pub where there were less adults. Her smiled fell from her face when she saw Draco Malfoy sitting there, kissing Blaise Zabini like his life depended on it. Her heart hitched repeatedly. The world fell away as she saw them two at it.

When she heard roaring in her ears, Hermione turned to her friends, he face plastered with an extremely fake and unconvincing smile. Her eyes were stinging and she couldn't, for the life of her, work out why. She was perfectly correct in telling her friends and acquaintances that there was nothing between herself and the Slytherin Bad-Boy but she couldn't help feeling isolated. 

"I…I just realised that I'm not that…thirsty. I'm going back to school okay." Hermione said, her own hearing seemed a bit dulled down.

Ginny made to open her mouth and speak but Hermione cut her off before she could even think. "No, stay and drink. I…have homework and I need to visit the library and revise and…" Hermione didn't finish, she left the pub quickly, rushing out of the door so fast that the door to the pub banged, tearing the couple away from each other to stare at the door but they didn't see who had left, or entered.

Ginny and Julie stood their ground, glaring at the two Slytherin's. "He'd never do anything wrong again, my foot(!)" Ginny muttered the exclamation. Julie nodded vigorously next to the Gryffindor.

Blaise and Malfoy watched the Slytherin next to the Gryffindor, glaring as if to end the world and they both wondered why a Slytherin would glare at a fellow Slytherin. 

Hermione ran all the way back to the school, heart pumping hard and in more pain than she could ever remember being in.

*               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *

**He's such a prick!! Hahahaha. Review and please don't flame. Thank you.**

**Dina**

**P.S. I hope you weren't waiting too long for this chapter. I am extremely lazy at times. Sorry.**


	15. Revenge Is Sweet

**A/N: **Someone actually reviewed this fic asking if I thought that Blaise was a girl. Well did I say that Blaise was a girl in this fic? Would Hermione have reacted so badly if it was a girl? Sorry sorry. I'm just kidding. I always imagined Blaise to be a girl. It could be because the only time I have ever read a book with that name in it, the person was female.

**Chapter 15; Revenge Is Sweet**

Ginny had every intention of marching up to Malfoy and tearing him a new one. A new what, she didn't know but she would make sure that she tore it slowly and _very_ painfully. She walked with purpose only to be bought up short by Julie clutching onto the back of her clothes. "Julie!" She hissed. "Let go of me. I need to knick his pale ass for here to history!"

Julie shook her head vehemently - all the while keeping a firm grip on the back of the angry red-head's clothes. "Ginny. I understand what you're angry about and I'd kick him in the nuts if I could too." Draco didn't see this exchange at all as he was now back to Blaise. "It's just that you can not hurt the Head Boy in front of all these witnesses."

Ginny stopped struggling and turned to her friend disappointedly. "Since when do you think rationally? I though it was always act-first-think-later with you."

Julie chuckled. "I like to save it for when it counts. He also hasn't done anything wrong. Ethically it is but rationally, he's just being a boy."

Ginny grimaced at the pair then turned back to Julie. "Stop it, you're scaring me." She turned to the exit of the Three Broomsticks. "Come on, we're leaving. I will not sit here and watch two jerks eating each other."

The two prefects headed back for Hogwarts in search of the Head Girl. "But I really wanted a butterbeer." Julie whined.

Ginny huffed and increased her pace. "Get one from the kitchens when we get back to the castle. I'm guessing she won't be in the common room"

* * *

They were wrong. Hermione sat in the middle of the rug, in front of the fire, in the common room. She was lying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows and doing her homework. It was such a good way to get away from all the troubles in her life and she may as well do it.

Hermione loved magic. It wasn't because she was school crazy. She did her homework and knew all the answers because she was sincerely interested. She hadn't been this conscientious at her old muggle school because even from a young age, she knew that there were better things out there for her. Who ever know that she would end up here.

Right now, Hermione wanted to get away from the feeling of sadness and disappointment. Why did she have to act so stupidly, couldn't she have just stayed put and acted like what he was doing didn't matter to her at all? She stared back at the paragraph and closed her eyes in defeat. She wasn't going to get anything done now.

She slammed her book shut. They would all return soon and she couldn't concentrate. She picked the book, parchment and quill up and headed for the portrait hole. It swung in and a green clad Slytherin that didn't go by the name of Julie Baddock walked in.

Hermione stared at him torn between what to do and where to look. She backed up and bit to give him space to enter and then walked out of the common room without so much as a response to his "Hi Hermione."

Ginny and Julie caught up with her a short while later. They were both panting hard as if they had just run a marathon. Twice.

"We've been looking all over for you!" Ginny wheezed.

Hermione frowned at them and continued walking leaving them to follow in her wake. "What for? I was working in the common room. Couldn't you have just come to find me there?"

"I knew it!" Julie hissed. "Didn't I know it Ginny?"

"If you say so." Ginny relented. "We didn't think you'd want to see Malfoy."

"So you thought that I wouldn't go into my own common room? Guy's I've played that part and I am not going to allow him to chase me out of there again. I have just as much right to be there."

"So why aren't you there now?" Ginny enquired. "Did he come?"

"Yes he did come." Off their looks. "He is not the reason that I left! I couldn't concentrate. I was leaving as he came in."

Julie gasped. "And there were no fireworks? Now that is different."

"Do you want a lot of chocolate?" Ginny asked consolingly.

"I want to finish my work."

"Oh what tosh." Julie dismissed. She pointed her wand at Hermione school things. "Evanesco." They vanished before Hermione could say two words about it.

"Julie!!!" Hermione cried. "Where did you put them?"

"Relax." She soothed while Ginny laughed quietly. "They're back in your room, on your bed. Perfectly straight. You can go and check if you don't believe me."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin but relented. "Fine! Chocolate it is then."

Ginny and Julie grinned triumphantly. "Hermione?" Ginny said offhandedly.

"Hmm?" Hermione looked at the prefect. "I know a good way of getting him back."

Hermione snorted. "What makes you think that I want to get him back?"

"Because you're a Gryffindor!" Ginny stated obviously.

Hermione shook her head. "I think you're getting Gryffindor's and Slytherin's mixed up you know."

"Hey!" Julie cried.

Ginny – ignoring Julie - shrugged. "It's an easy mistake to make. The line gets obscured sometimes but he deserves it and I know they perfect way to do it."

"Enlighten me." Hermione answered. If this was the only way to get them to shut up, she may as well listen and then refuse.

"Kiss Jason in front of him." Ginny said happily.

"What?!" Hermione asked stupidly.

The other two just rolled their eyes.

"I can't do that to Jason. It's not fair." Hermione shook her head at their idiocy.

"No," Ginny insisted. "Tell him. Jason won't mind doing it."

Hermione looked at them, lost. "But he's younger than me."

"He's taller than you." Julie said simply. "What else matters? He's a year younger and he doesn't even look that."

Hermione couldn't even believe that she was considering it. Draco did deserve to be jealous but she didn't even know if he liked her that way. This was all getting to be a really confusing game of cat and mouse. "Oh for pete's sake guys!" Hermione shook her head – more to shake the thoughts away than to refuse - and continued on her way to the kitchens.

Ginny ran in front of her and blocked any further trek Hermione was planning to do down the corridor. "You say that you don't like him yet it's obvious that you do. Stop denying it to yourself and get some payback!"

Hermione adamantly shook her head this time. "I am not going to use anybody like that."

"Draco does it all the time." Julie supplied unhelpfully.

"Do I have to keep reminding you that I am not a Slytherin?" Hermione pushed past Ginny and continued down the corridor with them following.

"When will you stop living by the rules of the houses and do what you want to do for once?" Ginny asked. "Just do us one favour then."

Hermione spun around. "What!?" She breathed exasperatedly.

"Ask him." Julie stood next to Ginny and levelled her own eyes at the Head Girl. "Ask Jason if he'll do it for you and if he feels comfortable doing so."

"And if he says that he will." Ginny continued. "_And_ there are no other obstacles in the way."

"Will you do it?" Julie finished.

Hermione opened he mouth, every intention of refusing point blank but before she could do it her mind rushed in to join the fray. He had hurt her, there was do doubt about that. She had never felt that empty in her entire life and if there was any way that he felt the same for her, she was going to make him feel just a rotten.

Ginny was right. It was time to stop listening to the house rules and start listening to herself a bit more. She closed her mouth and a smirk akin to that of the Slytherin prince graced her features. It was with this look that Ginny and Julie knew that they had one their argument.

"Fine." Hermione smiled. "I agree."

Ginny and Julie grinned at each other triumphantly.

"But(!)" Hermione continued. "Only if he is 100% ok with it."

"Can't ask for more than that" Ginny conceded.

They entered the kitchens to find sugar.

* * *

Jason sat in the common room practising his spells and charms for Defence Against the Darn Arts. Hermione was thankful that he was alone. The rest of the prefects and Head Boy were out doing rounds or homework in various parts of the castle. Ginny and Julie had purposefully left the room so that she could ask him her favour.

"Jason?" He asked tentatively.

"Hmm?" He replied distractedly.

"I have a favour to ask you." She lowered herself next to him on the couch. "You might want to put your wand down for this, lest you case an accident."

Jason closed her Defence book and pocketed his wand. He looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

Hermione fiddled with her robe but looked him in the eyes resolutely. "You have ever right to refuse if you want to." Hermione paused. How did she ask someone if they would mind kissing her so that she could get back at another guy.

"I'm listening Hermione." He urged.

"I was wondering if you would mind kissing me." She said in a hastily. Well that wasn't so hard.

"You what?!" He asked dazed.

"Sorry. That came out wrong." She bit her bottom lip. "You're right, we don't know each other very well and I don't mean for this to be a way for us to _get_ to know each other. I don't treat all my friends like this believe me."

"Hermione you're babbling." He stated, ceasing her endless flow of words.

"Sorry…again." Hermione blushed to the roots.

"Will he murder me if I _do_ do this for you?" He said with a shrug.

"Who?" Hermione asked, her mind a bit of a muddle.

"Draco Malfoy. I assume that is the reason you asked me to kiss you."

Hermione gazed at him, still a little confounded. She snapped out of it quick enough. "How did you know? I was just getting to that."

"I saw him in the Three Broomsticks, I saw you walk in. I figured it out for myself."

"There's no pressure! You can say no if you want to and I will drop down a hole and promise never to come back out - due to all me embarrassment and all." She was babbling again.

"I'll do it." He cut in

Hermione droned on for a while before his words sunk in. "What?" She gasped.

"I said I'll do it." He smiled kindly.

"Really? But why?"

"Call it a favour to a friend. I'll also make it look convincing so it won't look like you were just retaliating to an unseen, unvoiced challenge."

"Oh thank you!" Hermione gushed.

"If he kills me, I'm coming back as a ghost and I will haunt you to the end of your days." He said in mock seriousness.

"Agreed."

"Only can we not do it in this common room? It feels too much like a trap to be enclosed in these four walls with the only escape route - a hole."

Hermione affirmed. "Meet me on the third floor corridor at 8pm. We're both supposed to be there at that time, patrolling." She left the room.

* * *

Ginny and Julie rushed to meet her at the next given opportunity. They were running so fast that they would have bowled her over had they not had the mind to stop. They came to a skidding halt, Ginny shrieked. "Well?!"

Hermione nodded in assent.

"YES!!" Julie yelled. "We should probably go so that you can set the revenge in order."

Ginny nodded solemnly. "Have fun."

Hermione toured the many corridors for a while before she headed for the third floor corridor. The very same one that had housed Fluffy the three headed dog in their first year. It was now open to students and some classes were held there.

Hermione walked up to the corridor and saw Draco patrolling. It was particularly easy to spot him as there were no hideouts in this particular one. She was just about to leave, not wanting to talk to him, when someone tapped her on the back. She turned to face Jason.

"Hermione." He began. "There's something I need to tell you."

Hermione slipped into acting mode. She was actually very good at it. "Um…can it wait? I really have to patrol right now. Why don't you tell me in the common room."

Justin shifted slightly. Hermione thought he was doing brilliantly. Either that or he really was afraid of Draco. She had her back to him so she didn't know if he was actually watching them or not.

"Well the thing is, it's really important and if I don't tell you now, I'm afraid that I'll never work up the courage to."

Well now that definitely should have caught his attention.

"Tell me what?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"That I really really like you." He said softly.

Hermione had a moment to wonder if she had told him not to use tongues, she didn't think she had, before he had swooped down and claimed her lips. Hermione kissed him back. It was what they had agreed to. When it actually happened, she felt nothing. No fireworks or heart stopping sensations. That was how she preferred it.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. She did not open her mouth to him though. Eventually they broke apart. He stepped back a bit, slightly red. "I just needed to tell you." He looked over her shoulder and Paled considerably.

* * *

**Well if I've left a cliff-hanger in my other two fics, I may as well do it with this one too. It gives me incentive to continue quicker because I am as eager to write it as my reviewers are to read it.**

**Thank you to all the review this fic.**

**Dina**

**P.S. Please review and please don't flame. Thanx.**


	16. Abandoning

**A/N: **Ok ok ok, I've been getting reviews (Alright, just one) telling me that Blaise is a boy so I would just like to point out the Jo has never said what Blaise's sex is so I like to chop and change.

**Chapter 16: Abandoning**

Hermione turned to see what Jason was looking so frightened about and saw Draco glaring so nastily at the prefect that it scared her a little too. "Uh-oh." She said under her breath. "Let me just apologise beforehand." She hissed as she watched Draco stalk to the pair.

He looked at Jason as if he was scum and Hermione realised that Draco was taller than the other boy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? No one except the Heads are allowed in this corridor past seven pm. Save your sucking for a better time. Now get back to the common room." His voice was calm but the venom behind it was unmistakable.

Hermione couldn't look at Jason as he turned and fled. She did however glare Draco down with all the anger she possessed for him at the moment. "How dare you!?" she raged. "What gives you the right to treat him like that? Weren't you ever taught not to pick on people younger than you?"

He turned to her, a dangerous look in his eyes. "You don't like him like that." It wasn't a question, Hermione knew that much.

"Oh yeah?" she stamped her foot, she didn't know why but it helped her vent a little. "And how the hell would you know who I like or want?"

He stepped a little closer to her, towering above her though in reality, he was a little over five inches taller. "And how dare you suck face with a child just to make me jealous when you should be doing your duty?! Don't even try and tell me that that wasn't a show put on for me."

That was it, there were a lot of things Hermione could handle; being called a beaver, insulted, treated like and outcast, getting only 105% in a test (just about) but she would not stand by and let anyone call her a cradle snatcher. She slapped him hard before he could think twice. He didn't move or even twitch to indicate that he had felt it.

"Don't you ever insinuate things about my thoughts or feelings when you clearly have _no_ idea!" She opened the door of the third floor corridor and looked back at him. His cheek had her handprint emblazoned across it and she felt an odd sense of satisfaction from it. "You patrol this corridor. I'm sure you're _perfectly_ capable."

The door banged shut behind her seething form. He had of course been spot on but he had deserved that slap every bit as much as he had in second year.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hermione had had some time to calm down after storming out and was suddenly struck with her predicament. She had let Draco goad her and now he had every right to go and complain about her to McGonagall or Snape and she would most probably lose her badge. Her good sense was surfacing and with it; panic. How she would die before she saw _her_ badge in the hands of someone like Hannah Abbott or – god forbid - Pansy Parkinson.

Being Head Girl was what she had worked towards since she had first heard of the thing, which just so happened to be the first day of her first year and no she had destroyed it because she couldn't hold her temper – and embarrassment – in check long enough.

Hermione entered a dark corridor and sank down, depressed, to the floor, leaning on the wall for support. She heard footsteps but didn't move a muscle. Her eyes stayed glued to the same imperfection on the wall as the steps got louder. They finally stopped in front of her. She had realised a while ago that there were more than on set of footsteps.

She looked up into the faces of her best friends, rolled her eyes and looked away again.

Ron sat on one side of her and Harry on the other. "How did you find me?" Hermione asked unnecessarily as she had seen Harry folding up the Marauder's Map. They also didn't seem to feel the need to explain.

Harry shrugged. "The map said that you were upset so we came to beat the bad monsters away."

Hermione snorted. Hanging with them two was not good for her feminine side. "It did not. The map shows where people are, not how they are feeling."

"You never know, I might have upgraded it. Considering the amount of time you _don't _spend with us anymore, we could have done it without you knowing,"

Hermione smiled fondly at him. "And disfigure something that your father made while at Hogwarts? I don't think so." She didn't say _with Sirius _because Sirius' death was still painful, even two years after it had occurred.

"So are you going to tell us what's wrong?" Ron prodded, hoping for an answer but with Hermione, it was never guaranteed.

Hermione shrugged. "I probably just lost my badge."

Ron looked at her Head Girl badge in confusion. "Hermione, it's right there." He pointed at it.

Hermione looked at him disdainfully. "I meant that it's going to be revoked."

"Why?" Harry asked politely.

"Because I just walked out on my duties as Head Girl." Hermione explained to them what had happened. Ron couldn't help laughing at the end. "You kissed Jason who's in the year below us and you smacked Malfoy again?"

Hermione glared daggers at him. "Ronald it isn't funny!"

"Yes it is." Harry insisted. "What on Earth possessed you to do that? Not the smacking, the kissing."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. "Your girlfriend and Julie Baddock."

"Well that explains a lot." Ron granted. "My sister's mad and Julie is strange but he did save your life not long ago which means that yours is in his debt. How does it feel?"

"I'd say screw you if I agreed with swearing."

"Just don't walk away again ok?" Harry asked. "We miss talking to you and now that you've done away with your bodyguard, we can spend more time together."

"But I like by badge." Hermione insisted. "I want to keep it."

"Well what can you do?" Ron asked. "You can't exactly go to McGonagall and tell her that Malfoy got angry at you because you made out with a prefect while you should have been patrolling just so that you could get back at Malfoy for kissing someone on his break."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "And you wonder why they call you insensitive?"

"What?" Ron asked confused. "What did I say?" He focused on Hermione again. "But kissing someone to make Malfoy jealous would lead people to assume that you fancy him."

Harry looked at her apologetically.

"Well I hate to love you." She looked at Harry "And leave you." She looked at Ron with a look that clearly said _not_. "But I have to find Ginny and explain everything so that she isn't too miffed about the murderous looks that Draco shoots me in the common room. Julie too."

"Yet she still calls him Draco" She heard Ron whisper to Harry as she left. She shook her head at his tactlessness.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"What do you mean you slapped him?" Ginny gasped.

"Did I stutter?" Hermione asked casually.

Hermione, Ginny and Julie were sitting in the deserted common room. Jason was nowhere to be seen and Terry was probably in his room.

"She meant explain." Julie said helpfully.

"I know what she meant Julez." Hermione settled down into the sofa and retold the story for the second time. "So do you know where Jason is?"

Ginny grimaced looking uncomfortable. "Well I haven't seen him but judging by your version of Draco's reaction, I would be surprised if he had gone straight to Professor Flitwick and handed his badge in. I don't think that it was such a good idea anymore. Draco can get really jealous"

Hermione glared nastily at them both. "This coming from the girls that convinced me to go through with it even when I refused? Argh!" She groaned, covering her eyes. "This isn't helping people. And he has no right to get jealous when he did just as worse."

"Oh get over it! The pair of you." Julie said plainly. "You're acting like a bunch of children. You like him and it's obvious that the likes you too. Tell each other, shag and be done with it!"

"Julie!" Ginny cried. "You can't say something like that."

"I believe I just did." Julie shrugged. "He's saved your life, he doesn't call you mean things anymore and he's apologised once. And seriously, people have been waiting a long time so just get over this tiny hurdle and get onto the babies."

Ginny shook her head. Julie didn't always have to say what she thought but she did anyway. It was amusing in its own little way. "God am I glad Draco's not here to hear you say that. Besides, you can't just forget that he was snogging Blaise Zabini. What was his excuse for that?"

"He did it to see how you'd react." Julie shrugged.

Ginny studied the Slytherin. "Do you know that sanity mixed with whatever it is that makes you spout words off like a regurgitating toilet is even scarier than when you keep than separate?"

"Well he wanted to know if you felt anything deeper for him than just friendship. Sure he went about it like and idiot but that doesn't mean that he likes Blaise."

Hermione shrugged. "This'll probably be my last might in this common room anyway. I suppose that it might not be so bad. I'll actually get to spend some more time with Harry and Ron now. Trust me, too long without me and Ron is just about to go off of the deep end with insensitivity."

"Hermione." Ginny consoled. "It was one mistake, you'll probably just get reprimanded."

"Ginny, I smacked him. Hard! He's gonna milk it for all it's worth." She insisted dejectedly. "Remember the Hippogriff incident?"

"He's grown up." Julie yawned. "Besides, you slapped him for telling the truth."

"I don't need to be told how wrong it was Julie." Hermione smiled. "If felt good at the time. How dare he accuse me of kissing a minor."

"You did kiss a minor." Ginny pointed out.

"I know! I'm a minor too. You know what I mean." She said agitatedly.

"I think you're sleep deprived." Ginny said finally. "And we should find Jason and apologise to him. I also don't think that you need to see Draco again tonight and he should be back any minute so go to bed and we'll act all innocent."

Hermione didn't need telling twice. She had gotten the weight off of her chest and now all she wanted to do was crash.

She was up the stairs and in her room before she heard the portrait swing open to accept the Head Boy.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

It was a weekend and also 10am in the morning. Hermione was still in her bedroom, completely dressed but not daring to leave it in case she ran into Draco. This was the latest she had ever stayed in it but she jut couldn't seem to find the courage. If she did avoid the Slytherin, she would probably run into a Professor ready to take her badge away and she could handle that even less.

She wondered where Ginny and Julie were. She had at least expected them to come in and find out why their friend was nowhere to be found but apparently, they didn't seem to feel the need to do that.

Hermione dumped herself onto her bed and crossed her arms. She was being a coward and she knew it. It wasn't really as bad as she was making out. She had just smacked the Head Boy for being rude and full of himself. Ok, so it was pretty bad because she had also run out on her duty, something that Hermione Jane Granger had never – in her life – done before yesterday evening but when it had all started, she had never thought that it would turn out this badly.

It was during her silent ranting that her door had swung open.

* * *

**Ah, I put this chapter up because someone asked me to yesterday and I would also like to say thank you to Taintless for reviewing this fic from the beginning. You have stayed with it and I hope you realise how happy that makes me. Your reviews helped even when I was feeling like I would just end it at some chapter or another. **

**Thank you again.**

**Dina**


	17. Flying

**A/N: **Okay, in light of it being Hermione's birthday today and because I am afraid of Elmi (u really scare me girl!) I am going to update this story. I really feel like we are getting to the end of it.

**Chapter 17: Flying**

Hermione swivelled around, surprised, heart in her throat and watched as the door finished opening to reveal one of the two people she didn't want to see right now.

Hermione's gaze hardened and she hissed through her teeth. "Get out! You have _no_ right to be here!" Even through the anger that she could feel building within her, she couldn't get up to shove him out. It would have been useless as he was so strong and her shove was a lot like being hit by a feather.

Draco shook his head dismissively and entered the room, locking it behind him. That did it. Hermione grabbed her wand and shoved past him to open the door. There was about two minutes where Draco sat languidly on her bed and watched her struggle with the locking spell. Every spell she tried was ineffective. "I wouldn't bother if I were you. They don't teach the counter curse for that spell at Hogwarts." He said unhelpfully.

Hermione cried in frustration and threw her wand aside. What use was it anyway if she could get the door open? Draco wasn't going to hurt her; though judging by the hardened look in his eyes and barely suppressed rage, she might have been wrong about that little detail. "Dark magic then is it?" Her back was pressed against the wall. She wanted to keep as much distance between them as she could. "I didn't think you were allowed to use that at Hogwarts."

Draco looked at her mockingly. "Just because you don't know a spell doesn't mean that it's Dark Magic. No matter what you think, you're not all knowing."

Hermione bristled. "I never said that I was! Now get out of my room. I have _nothing_ to say to you."

"Well in case you couldn't tell by the locked door, I'm not going anywhere." His eye glinted malevolently as he stood and advanced upon her. It took all of Hermione's will not to cower as she was reminded forcibly of their destruction of the corridor. "I want an answer from you and I'm not leaving here without one." He said, barely about a whisper but the force behind it would have had a deaf person assuming that he had shouted.

"Well then I guess you're not leaving." Hermione said childishly. "There's nothing to discuss. You're an arrogant pig who thinks that every girl wants him. Not everything the human race does is about you for your information."

Draco smirked nastily. "But you _do_ want me." He said without any shame. He was completely serious and he believed every word.

Hermione could literally feel the anger simmering. What did it matter if he was right? What did it matter if he was intuitive like hell? The fact was that Draco Malfoy was irreversibly big-headed. She shoved him; it didn't help so she did the next best thing and ducked from under his arm. She couldn't risk hitting him again because there was nowhere to run this time and she had never stuck around to see what Draco did after being slapped. There was no clever way of avoiding the question so she settled for asking one of her own. "Why does it bother you so much that I kissed Jason?" She walked the circumference of the room, putting her bed between them.

"Aside from the fact that it was _very_ obvious that you did it to get at me, that child tries to get into the pants of any girl who'll have him…and some who won't" He crossed his arms and leant against the wall Hermione had been at only two seconds ago.

Hermione was outraged by his insinuations. She was the one to ask Jason, not the other way around but to admit that would be to admit that it had all been a deception and she couldn't bring herself to inflate that head any more. "You think he wanted to sleep with me? That's preposterous!" She didn't know how many times she had to say this. The blond was so adamant to believe it though. Maybe she just wasn't convincing enough. "It had nothing to do with you! Why do you have to be so bloody stubborn about it?"

Draco shrugged. "Well do you wonder why he agreed so readily to take part in your little play? Do you honestly think that he did it out of the goodness of his heart? Sorry Hermione but boys only think about one thing and that is when they can get their next lay." He was mocking her again and she knew it. "It's a lot better for your reputation if people to know that you did it with an older woman."

Hermione didn't want to admit it but something did click. His words held a ring of truth. There was nothing in it for Jason except to get a royal ass kicking from Draco if they were caught but if they weren't, Jason may have thought that she would have been willing. Hermione knew in her gut that she would _never _have let it get that far but did he?

Hermione threw her head back to get her hair out of her face and turned away from him. When she spoke, it was to the wall. "What makes you assume that it was all about you?"

"Because you either saw or found out that I had been kissing Blaise Zabini (ok, now I know that he's a boy but I didn't then) in the 'Three Broomsticks' and wanted revenge." He said easily, as if the words had just been waiting to roll off his tongue but he wasn't done. "Although, judging by the bang of the pub door and who was left glaring at me, I'm assuming u saw for yourself." He sounded so smug that Hermione wanted to punch him until he bled.

She counted to ten before she faced him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was not at the 'Three Broomsticks'. I have already returned to the castle. We've spoken, you've swollen your head to even greater ranks and I'm kinda tired. I am also hungry so if you don't mind, unlock the door. I want to leave." She grabbed her wand and faced him, fully hoping that he had at least listened. He hadn't.

"No." He insisted. His anger had been replaced by a frank stubbornness and arrogance which seemed even worse.

"Fine!" She shouted. It was hard to hold her temper when he was being this annoying. "You stand there looking all smug and expedient. I don't care that you snogged Blaise. You can keep that door locked, I'm still leaving."

"Yeah!" He hissed unmoved. "And how do you expect to do that?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, grabbed her broom which was conveniently within reach, mounted it and shot straight for the window which opened at her spell. Draco didn't have time to react at all. She could almost imagine his dumfounded look back in her bedroom.

Being back in the sky was an exhilarating and terrifying experience. She hadn't been on her broom since she was kidnapped from it and if Harry or Ron saw her now, they would try and coax her down but she didn't want to go down. The wind rushed through her hair and whistled lightly in her ears. Staying here would alert the attention of the other students and flying wasn't exactly a good way to avoid Draco so she aimed for the one place that Draco was afraid of yet was still on school grounds; the Forbidden Forest.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Hermione settled herself onto the top of one of the smaller trees. It kept her off of the ground but also hid her from anybody flying around looking for her.

She didn't want to walk into the Forbidden Forest as the Centaurs still weren't happy to have humans wondering the forest. They didn't threaten death anymore – on Dumbledore's orders – but Bane really didn't like Hermione after she had purposefully led Umbridge into their midst.

Grawp had been found by Dumbledore. He hadn't seemed at all upset about finding out that a giant had been living in the Forest for a year and Grawp had done the immense favour of agreeing to take the place of the Dementors who had once guarded Azkaban. This had please the Centaurs but it was also the last time Hermione would venture into the place without a completely good reason.

She sat and looked at the sun glinting off of the raindrops on the leaves. There was nothing she loved more that sunshine right after a downpour. The whole world seemed to sparkle and glow. She sat away from the dense part of the forest, facing the castle. She could see people between the branches and leaves. They looked like tiny ants, scurrying around the castle and lake. It would be impossible to tell the difference between Ron and Harry at this distance.

They would probably be looking for her. It served Ginny and Julie right for leaving her there to deal with Draco so early in the morning. She really was hungry but she didn't want to go down. It was too soon to face Draco and he would certainly make a beeline for her if he caught sight of her.

"I would go down if I were you." Someone said from behind her. It was all Hermione could do not to fall off of her broom and plummet to the leafy floor. He turned her head slowly and glared at her sheepish looking best friend. "Sorry." He said by way of apology.

"I didn't hear you come up!" Hermione hissed.

"Advantages of being a Seeker. Allows you to sneak up on your opponents." Harry confided.

"I am your best friend! Not an opponent."

"Still. You wouldn't have heard me anyway. It seemed like you were pretty deep in thought."

Hermione shrugged. "Why are you here? I was hoping for some alone time."

"Ginny and Julez mentioned that a pretty pissed off Malfoy entered the Great Hall so I figured that he had either killed you or that you had given him the slip latter. I was hoping for the latter." Harry settled on the tree next to her. "You hate the Forbidden Forest."

"Well it's not the friendliest of creatures."

"And you're flying?"

"You can't die scared you know?" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"So what happened?"

"He walked into my room this morning and locked the door. I expected to see Ginny or Julie walk in but no…they left me there." Hermione scowled.

Harry grinned. "Well they were going to your room but they saw Malfoy walking in and thought it would be best if the didn't intervene."

"You think it's amusing that a Slytherin walks into my room?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Well this one yes." Harry held back a laugh. "It's just that it's _so_ obvious that you like him and we're all ok with it…" Harry trailed off at the look of outrage on her face.

"What!?" She bellowed. "Could everyone just stop this right now!? It's not fair that nobody listens to my side." Hermione stopped abruptly as Harry's hand covered her mouth.

"Hermione, I know how much you love to talk but this time, you are going to listen to me." When he was sure that she wasn't going to say anything, he let go of her. "Malfoy's bigheaded, we all know it but there is also the fact that he likes you. Now you two are being stubborn children. Ginny's my first proper girlfriend. I should have been scared to ask her out and I was but this – what you and Malfoy are doing - takes the biscuit. The way you two are adamant to destroy each other's lives rather than make it better…well I don't understand it." He shook his head like a disapproving father. "My advice is talk. Don't shout."

"You sound a lot like Julie." Hermione narrowed her eyes, scrutinising him.

"Well I never thought I'd say it but she's right." He held out his hand. "Want to go back?"

Hermione looked at his hand. "Harry, we're on brooms, your hand isn't going to help."

Harry shrugged and withdrew his hand. "We are still going back so come on."

Hermione followed him down to the even ground and dismounted. "I'm hungry."

"There's still food in the Great Hall." Harry led her there and showed her where Ron and Ginny were sitting and talking in hushed tones. Hermione wasn't bothered about hearing what they were saying. She sat with her back to the Slytherin table and said quietly. "Tell me he's not there."

Ginny finished talking to her brother and turned to Hermione. "So do you want me to tell you the truth or just say he's not there?"

Hermione threw her a disdainful look in which Ginny sighed, shrugged and said. "He left a little while ago."

Hermione groaned in relief and grabbed any kind of food that was within reach. "Calm down Hermione." Ginny cried as she relieved Hermione of the sprouts. She knew Hermione hated them. "There's enough food here. No need to imitate Ron."

Hermione smiled gratefully a got down to her breakfast.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Hermione had swatted aside Julie's questions after breakfast promising to talk to her later. The day had gone by uneventfully as every weekend did in the school…unless they were risking life and limb to save somebody or the other. She had come across Harry and Ginny twice in the halls and ordered them back into the Gryffindor common room to continue with their endeavours because lower years didn't need to be privy to their behaviour.

The sun had fallen before Hermione entered the common room, broomstick in hand. She hadn't been back to return it because she didn't want another unpleasant encounter with Draco, if he wasn't on the grounds, he was obviously here.

Sure enough, as she looked around the room, she saw him sitting at his couch reading a book. She turned sharply and headed for their dormitory stairs, making sure to lock her bedroom door behind her. After returning her broom, she was torn between going downstairs to sort it out or relenting and going to sleep. The latter seemed more appealing but the former needed to come first.

She reached the bottom of the stairs only to find that Draco wasn't the only one in there now. Jason was sitting at the Ravenclaw couch, trying his best to look both invisible and unafraid of Draco. Draco on the other hand was glaring so obviously at the boy that she was sure she would have to tie him down to keep him from lunging.

He arrival didn't seem to have helped the situation any. If anything, Jason was now looking at her, silently asking for her help. Normally Hermione would have but Draco's forced 'chat' this morning had planted the seed of doubt within her. Did Jason have an ulterior motive? Whatever the reasoning, she needed to speak to Draco alone and Jason couldn't be there.

Hermione sighed. "If you don't mind, Jason. I need to speak to Draco alone."

Jason looked beyond relived as he nodded vigorously and almost flew up his staircase.

Hermione turned to him, her arms crossed. He sat on the couch, all previous traces of homicidal tension had vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

**Well there's another chapter gone and done with. I really don't want to finish this story but I don't know how much longer I can stretch it for. The civilised talk should be coming next.**

**Dina**

**P.S. Please review and please don't flame.**


End file.
